Chasing Storms
by Yrdenal
Summary: Jareth took Sarah's memory away after she defeated him, but now something is forcing her to remember. Remembering the Labyrinth could wreak havoc on the Underground, and destroy Sarah in the process. Can he save her and his home as well? JxS, in progress!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Finally got a beta, editing as I go along. :D

Out of the 48,000 students at Texas A&M University, 22,000 are female. Out of those women, 13,000 have brown hair. Only 203 have brown hair and green eyes. Of those scant two hundred, four are from the East Coast. Only one has a little brother. She and her little brother are singular individuals, with the traces of their otherworldly friends visible about their person, if one had the eyes to see them.

Sarah was far from home, working on her master's degree at a university in the middle of Texas for many reasons. One of them was obvious: Texas was as different from her home as a cat was different from an owl. She also wanted to get as far away from her family as possible. While she had the love of her now 11 year old brother, Toby, her father and step-mother viewed her as a bad influence on him. Apparently encouraging a young boy's imaginative fancies was not appreciated. Her mother cared little for her only child, as she was the last reminder of a relationship that she wished dearly that she could forget. She attempted to solve the problem of her daughter in the same way she solved all her problems- by throwing money at her. So it is with this money that Sarah Williams could afford to give herself a strong education in literature and history, culminating in a master's of comparative literature and cultures, allowing her to study stories, and the environment that fomented such ideas. She has few friends, preferring her studies and her books to the wilds of the human spirit. She lives alone, and likes it that way. She is not sure what will happen once she receives her master's degree. To her, the future is hazy.

* * *

The campus was beautiful this time of year. Now that October had finally rolled around, the Texas heat had finally eased, dropping below 90 on a regular basis. The marching band could be heard all across the campus- a heavy rhythm to get the students going on their way to class, with the drum line forcing their steps to move ever faster. Sarah was on her way to her last class of the day, Mythologies 301. She was one of three graduate students in the class, so she always felt so much older just by being there. The sun was setting on the campus in a blaze of glory, allowing Sarah a brilliant view as she walked to class, but all too soon she was inside, pulling out her course book, and settling in.

The professor, Ms. Duncan, as she preferred to be called, looked around the room sternly.

'How many of you have forgotten about your thesis? Your subject is supposed to be turned in for my approval today.'

While many of the students murmured, or stirred in their seats, Sarah was not concerned. She'd had her topic picked out for weeks. 'Creation Myths' was simple enough, yet there was enough there to write 30 pages or more. The students called out their subjects, and Ms. Duncan told them 'yes' or 'no', or gave them a tip on where to find some good information on their particular subject. Sarah didn't pay attention, instead focusing on the outline of her thesis that she had already completed. She liked being ahead of the game, in case she got sick and couldn't finish the paper on time. Suddenly, while contemplating where she could find some alternate translations for hieroglyphs on the Ancient Egyptian creation myth, the student behind her announced his chosen subject, 'Creation myths!' Sarah whirled around and glared at him. He pretended not to see it, but smiled triumphantly when he got approval.

'Well, Sarah? What subject did you have in mind?' Ms. Duncan asked.

'Ms. Duncan, I was hoping to cover Creation Myths...' Sarah stammered.

'No, no, no. That subject is being covered already.'

'But I've already got an outline and 10 pages written...'

'Why did you start when you didn't know if you'd get approval?'

'Well....'

'Exactly. See me after class.'

Sarah deflated. All the hard work she had put in already, gone. Ms. Duncan seemed unconcerned, launching into her nightly lecture. Tonight's topic: Fairy Dwellings.

While Sarah seethed about her hard work being pointless, the professor brought up the lecture points on the board.

"Why do fairy tales and myths attribute the 'Underground' as being the home to fairies?" Ms. Duncan wrote in bold, slanting script across the whiteboard.

'Some theories attribute fairies as spirits of the dead, which would be a simple explanation as to why they live underground. Barrows found across the world are attributed to both burial sites and fairy mounds- gateways to the kingdom of fairies. There is also the medieval theory that fairies were also devils, or perhaps angels who were not good enough for Heaven, but not bad enough for Hell. If they were devils, then Hell would be their home, which is simply always inferred as underground.'

The longer the professor went on, the more Sarah felt disturbed. Fading memories came back to her, of a time when she wished away her baby brother to Goblins, to a kingdom Underground, with a Castle at the center of a Labyrinth, beyond the Goblin City. She had long attributed these memories to a flight of fancy, or perhaps just a dream. But sometimes, they were so _clear_....

Sarah shook off the bout of strangeness, and diligently took notes for the rest of the hour.

* * *

'Ms. Duncan, you asked to see me?' Sarah asked as the last of the students left the classroom.

'Ah, yes. Sarah, I don't want you to think you're in trouble, I just wanted to point out that it was a little silly to start writing a paper before you'd gotten approval for the topic.'

'Ms. Duncan, I swear James just looked over my shoulder and saw that I had that written down... I don't think he's done a bit of research...' _It's just not FAIR!_

'Be that as it may, he got approval before you. So, you need a new subject.' The professor motioned for Sarah to sit down by her desk.

'There's not really much left from the list....' Sarah pouted.

Ms. Duncan pulled out the offending list. She glanced over it quickly, running her fingers through her shocking red hair with a sigh.

'Sarah, how much do you know about Irish legends?'

'Only what we covered today. The singing stone, stuff like that....'

'Why don't you cover the Underground in Irish folklore?'

Sarah stared at her professor, eyes wide. Ms. Duncan met her stare with her own eyes narrowed.

'Is there a problem?'

'No! Not at all, I just... where would I get my research?' Sarah scrambled to recover her train of thought.

'I have several books on Irish legends myself. The campus library is also quite good, perhaps you've been there?' This was said with a bit of sarcasm, as Sarah was known to haunt the library quite often.

'Um. Okay, I guess...'

'You should get started right away, Sarah. I know you will find your research to be particularly enjoyable.' Her professor said with a smile. Sarah took this as a dismissal, and turned to flee from the classroom.

* * *

The campus clock tower chimed 9 o'clock as Sarah walked back to her car. The marching band was packing up after its evening practice, so the riotous music had stopped, and the only sound left was the chatter of happy, if exhausted, students making their way off of the field and towards their own destinations. Sarah's little Malibu was waiting for her in a pool of yellow light, looking solemn and alone.

She had to shake this mood off.

She tossed her books in the backseat, perhaps a little more roughly than normal, and then climbed into the driver's seat. As she turned the key in the ignition, a flash of white caught her eye- but when she turned to see what it was, there was nothing there. She shook her head in another effort to shake off the bout of moroseness, and drove home.

The drive was uneventful, at best. Pulling into her driveway, she saw her cat sitting on the windowsill in the living room, probably waiting for dinner. Sarah opened the door to her tiny, cozy home and sighed. Here she found a mix of peace and recklessness, a bit like organized chaos. Her black lab, Myth, bounded up to meet her with a joyous bark, while the tabby cat she had named Marian made her delicate way from the window to the couch, and finally to the coffee table, to purr a greeting as well. Sarah dropped her bags and gave both of her pets their due attention- Myth was let out in the backyard, and Marian got her Fancy Feast. Sarah tossed a toy in the yard for Myth, sipping a sweet tea (oh, what a southern joy!) and swatting the bugs away from her bare arms and legs. _Imagine wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt back home this time of year_, she mused.

Sarah heaved a sigh, and brought the dog inside. She had to face this paper tonight, while she still had the guts to start over. Literature 301: Legends, Myths and Fairy tales was an easy class for an undergrad, she had heard, but the additional coursework heaped upon grad students could get tedious. So far, this hadn't been the case, and Sarah had actually enjoyed Ms. Duncan's unique lectures, but the change of topic on her paper had killed her optimism. Sitting at her desk, she cracked open her laptop and brought up the internet. A quick Google search brought up a few results on 'Underground', but most of them involved varying forms of music or spelunking adventure clubs. A Wikipedia search proved just as fruitful. Searching 'fairy dwellings' gave even fewer results. 'Underworld' linked her a few books, mainly things like Neverwhere. Sarah found a total of four useful websites to introduce her to the subject- this subject looking more daunting by the minute! Daunted, she clicked the first link and began to read.

In the distance, clouds boiled up and thunder rumbled.

By the time she had made it to the second website, she was a little disturbed. While none of the information was terribly thrilling, or even new, it was all beginning to give her a crazy feeling in her stomach.

The air began to feel heavy, as if to say, 'Take cover!'

The third link had her feeling full of dread.

Outside her window, lightning flashed and thunder cracked almost simultaneously. It was dangerously close.

The fourth website was by far the most interesting- it had her riveted, even through her terror at both the storm and things half-remembered. It spoke of a mighty people making an island habitable, their magics and their mighty leaders. Sarah knew so little about the Tuatha de Danan, the Children of Danu, that this information was fascinating. And then, abruptly, they all disappeared, going 'Underground.' There was no mention of what this place was like, only that it existed. The Children of Danu faded away.... all except for one. The bastard child of one of the last kings of the Tuatha de Danan, Ethur, and a human girl, the Gatekeeper watched the way Underground. His land was a half-place, on the edge of both the Underground and Above, as both a guard against humans and protection for them. 'He rules over a Labyrinth of unruly creatures and changelings,' Sarah read aloud. 'These creatures are sometimes referred to as goblins.'

The thunder cracked again, and in a flash, the lights went out.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Going through some edits.

I don't own anything to do with the Labyrinth.

* * *

'Yer majesty...' the goblin bowed before the great-horned throne, tugging his forelock nervously.

The figure on the throne blinked, and threw his hand over his face to stifle a yawn. 'Yes, Zip? What is it? I'm quite busy...' (The goblin thought that he had never seen the king looking more bored, but in a sudden bout of wisdom, decided to ignore this.)

'A storm be brewin...a nasty one, at that!' Zip squeaked, and then ducked to the ground for fear of the kicking that he knew was coming.

It never came.

Zip looked up tentatively, hands protecting his ears. (His long, rabbit-like ears were his pride and joy, and it wouldn't do to have them smashed.) The King was stock still, staring at the prone goblin before him.

'Where is the storm originating?' The King's voice was a deadly whisper.

'Seeker's gate, majesty! The gate with the fairy ponds and Her Tree!' Zip shouted, clutching his long ears harder. (Sometimes, when Zip got upset, he had a problem with volume.)

There was a sudden buildup of power in the room, and then with a subtle POP!, it was gone. So was the king.

(Unfortunately, Zip was now covered in glitter.)

* * *

Sarah had taken the power outage as a hint to go to bed. Outside, the storm howled furiously, with the near constant lightning strikes providing the only source of light. She was curled up on the bed, under at least two quilts and accompanied by a snoring Myth and a quivering Marian. Sarah herself did not like thunderstorms, and hadn't ever since she was 15. She'd had a terrible dream, one night, and woke up with the fear of storms, peaches, and ballroom dancing among other things. The dream had been quite beautiful, and quite adventurous, but in the end she'd defeated it and run away.

Outside her window, the rain continued to pour. Sarah began to focus on the sound of the rain, rather than the thunder and lightning that rumbled, and soon enough, she fell asleep.

She dreamed.

There was a small man, with a tired, wrinkled face and a large nose. He seemed sad, in a gruff kind of way. 'You forgot about us, Sarah. You said you'd never forget...' He said.

He faded away, and a fox with an eye patch appeared next. 'You never called upon us, Fair Lady. You had said... Should you need us...' A tear escaped the fox's good eye. He, too, disappeared.

A large, furry creature with a happy nature was next. He just looked at her with his huge, smiling face, and crooned, 'Sawah, fwend?'

There was a moment of confusion, as if the world had been put on fast forward. She zoomed through garden-mazes and walls, forests and tunnels and dark places, until she stood face to face with a terrifying man, all leather and magic and danger. He was blonde, with bi-color eyes and strangely tilted eyebrows. Sarah took a deep breath. She smelled sewer, green things, peaches and magic. The scent was sickly sweet, like a fruit that had gone off.

The blonde man smiled down at her. 'Well, Sarah, how are you enjoying my labyrinth?'

'It's a piece of cake!' She heard herself declaring, defiantly.

A flash of bitterness overcame the man's face. 'Oh, Sarah,' he breathed. 'Remember...'

The confusion came back- she was zooming through a dusty city, up to a huge castle, in a room full of stairs, staring at the blonde man again, who offered her a small crystal. It seemed he was begging, pleading with her- and then her dream faded.

The last thing she saw before she fell into deeper sleep were those strange eyes.

* * *

The Goblin King did not often go to the home of his forefathers. He disliked it, as a rule, because he had been denied the things that these places held for so long. Being a Keeper of the Way into the Underground did not offer many opportunities to leave one's gate, nor entertainment while you guarded. So the fact that he now needed to speak with several people in his Father's house, his father included, irked him.

He was inclined to take out his irritation on anyone who got in his way.

The unlucky sop was a guard outside the Undercastle. He stood in front of the massive marble door, dressed in black armor from head to toe. In his hand was a long silver pike.

The Goblin King was not surprised when the guard instantly pointed it at his throat.

'State your name.' The guard barked.

'I am Jareth, the Gatekeeper, Goblin King and Son of MacCuill. You will let me pass.' The Goblin King's eyes narrowed dangerously at the guard. The poor man blinked, and then felt the full force of the Goblin King's power roiling around him like an angry storm.

'Your Highness, your father is in a very important meeting right now...' The guard swallowed the rest of the sentence as Jareth waved the pike aside and put a gloved hand to the door.

'_Oscail_,' he murmured. The word, and the power behind it, was recognized by the door, and it swung wide to allow the Goblin King in.

Jareth shot the guard a superior glance, and entered the great hall.

His footsteps rang out angrily on the marble floor as he made his way up to the throne at the far end. The hall was fairly empty, a fact that Jareth found surprising. The meeting the guard spoke of really could be important, it occurred to him.

_No matter._

Ethur MacCuill sat on the great black throne of the Unseelie court, his wife Banba on the lesser throne beside him. Ethur was leaning forward, deep in discussion with a figure in front of him, while his wife listened in with obvious distaste. Jareth almost felt guilty for interrupt them, but he had pressing matters to deal with. When Ethur recognized his son walking up to the throne, surprise showed on his face.

'Jareth, Goblin King and Keeper of the Gate, what brings you to court?' he asked, dismissing his petitioners with a wave of his hand. Banba's distasteful expression did not change.

Jareth bowed to his father and then to his father's wife. 'My lord king, I come because a dreamstorm has started in the Labyrinth, and I wish to know the source.'

Ethur's face slipped into a courtly mask. 'A dream storm, my son?'

'Father, it has started at the Seeker's gate. I have not had a seeker since...since I was bested by the Mortal, Sarah.'

'Well, then, there is your solution! Obviously the mortal is dreaming of the Labyrinth again.'

'I took her memories long ago, Father. It was better that she did not remember.'

'I see.' Ethur sat in silence for a moment. 'Have you consulted the Crone yet?'

'I have not. I came to ask your permission to consult Cailleach Beara and Caer Ibonmeth both.'

Ethur grimaced. 'Cailleach Beara I grant you, but Caer Ibonmeth is currently... detained.'

Jareth had not expected this. 'She is in her other form?'

'Until Samhain, my son.'

'I see.' Jareth had hoped to discuss the dreamstorm with the Deity of Storms, Cailleach Beara, and the Goddess of Sleep and Dreams. However, Caer Ibonmeth spent every other year as a swan because of some curse laid millennia ago, and would not be reachable for almost an entire month.

'Well, where is the Storm Hag now? I will speak with her, and see if she has any insight.'

'She is in her rooms, shaping storms.' Ethur MacCuill told his son. His wife turned and looked at him, and then at her step-son.

'Jareth,' she called out in her musical voice. 'Next time you have something important to talk about, just call us? It takes so long to train guards the way we like them, and then when guests scare them they're useless for days.' She pointed at the guard, who was now weeping in the corner.

'I apologize, Stepmother. I can't help it that fear is such a large part of my magic.' Jareth bowed to his stepmother, and then to his Father.

'Besides, you know telephones don't work in the Labyrinth.'

With that, Jareth turned and left.

* * *

Jareth was lost in the palace, again. Oh, sure, you would figure a room full of storms would be easy to remember, but the endless black marble of the hallways made it all look the same. Memory told him she lived on the uppermost floor, closest to the surface. However, the Undercastle had more than four hundred rooms and suites for its inhabitants. Finally, he summoned a crystal. 'Show me what I seek,' he whispered to it, and let it fall to the ground. It bounced once, twice, and then turned around and rolled past him in the opposite direction than the one he had been facing.

Typical.

He turned to follow the crystal with a sigh. Left, right, forward, left... he memorized all the turnings in an effort to stay entertained. The path to Beara's rooms seemed to be more convoluted than his own Labyrinth. Finally, the crystal turned a final corner and halted before a half open door. The Morrigan, Lady of Battle and the occasional Grand Prophecy was exiting the rooms with a smile- that is, until she saw the Goblin King. Her smile faded, and her eyes, like chips of glinting obsidian, turned serious.

'Well met, Goblin King.' She said. Her voice was harsh, with the echo of distant battle-cries, in the still hallway.

'Morrigan. It's been ages since we last met.' Jareth gave a half bow.

'Yes, well, you didn't seem to like my predictions, did you?'

'Yet they turned out to be true. Who could have guessed?'

'A wise man might, as I've never been wrong before.' She turned to leave, but then paused. 'I do have one more for you, if you have the time...'

'I am quite pressed, my lady...' Jareth sighed. He did not care for predictions and prophecies, especially from the Harbinger of War.

'I had a dream last night, Jareth. You sought someone out- she was not what she seemed. When you found her, there was a battle of sorts. You showed her the past, and she showed you the future.' The Morrigan said, running her fingers over the edges of her raven-feather cloak.

'So you're predicting a battle, and a bride? How original.'

'Seek her out in the eye of the Storm.' And with that, she turned and walked away.

Before Jareth had any time to think about this, a quavering voice called out.

'Ach, Goblin King, I know you are there. Step inside the door, you'll let the storm out!'

He obeyed.

'Cailleach, it's been many years...' Jareth began, but the old crone held up her hand. She was an ancient woman, dressed in plaids and a tired apron with holes in the pockets, seated on a spindly three-legged stool. Next to her was a giant black cauldron full of winter storms.

'The Morrigan was just here. She gave me the news that you'd be here as well.'

'Well, she seems to be full of predictions today.'

'Ach, that she is. So you be here to ask about the Dreamstorm?' The Crone reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a handful of lightning, and then scattered it above the cauldron.

'I do. It began at the Seeker's gate and has been growing ever stronger, my scouts tell me.'

'I think you know who the Dreamer is...lad, will you hand me that jar of thunder?' She gestured across the room to a shelf full of odd bits and jars. Jareth obliged her, returning with a heavy amber jar with a cork stopper.

'That's a good lad. Your dreamer isn't what you think. The memories you stole from her are being returned, through means not your own.'

'I don't understand, Cailleach. Who could reverse my spells? She's not but a mortal child...'

'I think you knew then she was more than a child, and she's all grown up now. By mortal years, she's a woman. I think, mayhap, you should heed the Morrigan's warning- She that you seek is not what she seems, and will fight to hold onto what she knows best.'

'I don't want to seek her out; I just want to stop the Dreamstorm. The last time we had one in the Labyrinth, I had a dozen white rabbits escape into England, declaring for the world to hear that they were late for some silly thing or other! We had children from all over traipsing through the Labyrinth. And poor Alice who caused the storm in the first place was none the wiser for all the havoc she caused.'

'To stop this storm, laddie, you will have to seek her out. You will have to guide her through her memories. She may not like you for what you did then, but this storm will cause havoc that the Underground has never seen.'

'I don't understand, Cailleach.'

'There is no place for us to hide if the Underground is destroyed, Jareth. She could rip open the doors to the Labyrinth; let the whole world see it for what it is. We'd be done, for sure.'

Jareth's stomach sank.

'I...see. I will do what I must, then.' He bowed to the Storm Hag, and went to leave.

Cailleach Beara called to him as he walked out the door. 'I still say, Goblin King, you should search amongst my daughters and granddaughters for a bride. The Labyrinth has affected your dress-style.'

'I like the way I dress, mistress.'

'Those pants, lad. They're far too tight for comfort, although the ladies never mind the show!' Cailleach cackled.

Jareth stood up straight, scowled at the Crone, and disappeared.

Her laughter chased him home, like thunder on the plains.

* * *

It was still raining when Sarah woke. She thought this highly unusual. The few storms she had witnessed here in Texas blew through so quickly, the only way to know that it had stormed was to see the water in the streets. It was Friday, however, and she had no classes. There was no real reason for her to leave the house until Monday, when her classes resumed again.

Myth was staring up at her with large brown puppy eyes, obviously begging for food.

'Oh, fine, cry baby. Let's get you outside, and feed you too.'

Sarah got out of bed and pulled on her blue fuzzy robe. It was a little chilly this morning, especially with it still raining outside. She noticed as she let her dog outside that at the very least the lightning had stopped, although thunder still rumbled from time to time.

Sarah felt tense. Her dreams last night had bothered her. They were so... familiar, but then so like nothing she recognized. The feeling in the pit of her stomach had never left, as if there was an axe over her head waiting to fall. Half-distracted, she poured food for her pets, and then scrambled some eggs for herself. Myth crunched away happily, and Marian nibbled daintily, while Sarah picked at her breakfast with disinterest. What was this place that she had dreamed about? A land full of garden mazes and one-eyed foxes had no basis in reality. Maybe this class on myths was starting to get to her... although she had never dreamed about any of the Greek or Roman myths.

Except for the bull at the center of the Labyrinth... she'd had nightmares about that one for a week. The longer the dreams went on, the more the bull had seemed pitiable, not fearsome.

Finally, she stabbed her eggs with defiance and spoke aloud, 'I wish I could remember what this was all about!'

In the distance, thunder rumbled menacingly in disharmony with Sarah's phone ringing on the wall behind her, making Sarah jump-or was that the sudden strangeness in the air?

'Hello?' She answered.

'Sarah, hello, it's Ms. Duncan! How are you today?' The voice on the other end seemed obscenely cheerful for a dank and depressing morning.

'Oh, just fine!' It felt like a lie. 'What can I do for you?'

'I have some books for you. If you would stop by my office sometime during the lunch hour, I can lend them to you for a week or so, to help you with your thesis. They're very old, however, so you need to be gentle with them...'

'Great! I really appreciate it. Your office is in the Glasscock building, right?'

'Yes, yes. I'll see you in a while!'

'Thanks again!'

As Sarah hung up, she noticed that Marian was staring at her from across the room. Her front paws rested on a small red leather book.

'Kitty, are you knocking things off the shelves again?' Sarah said, and grabbed the book.

Marian stared up at her balefully.

'Oh, of course not, how could I be so silly?' Sarah laughed, and sat down at the desk to look at the cat's prize.

_The Labyrinth_, by K. Fitzroy, rested in her hands.

'That's funny,' she murmured. 'I don't remember this book...' She traced her fingers down the delicate spine with a feeling of déjà vu.

_She was 15 again, sitting in front of a vanity mirror with a book and a tube of red lipstick, a crown half-cocked on her head._

Sarah shook her head to clear away the memory, and looked at the clock.

She didn't have the time to look through it- it was nearly 11:30 already.

Gently, she set the book down on her desk and got up to change.

* * *

Zip was playing in the rain with the other goblins. His friend, Zeffer, had told him about it! It was a party just outside Seeker's gate, where the rain was the steadiest.

Zip had been afraid at first- goblins, as a rule, did not like bathing, and this struck him as very closely related to that. However, Jang, one of the few female goblins he knew, had pushed Zeffer into the mud, and then suddenly playing in the rain seemed like a great thing!

Mud was Zip's new favorite thing.

The chickens did not like the mud, though. This made some goblins sad, but mostly it made Zip happier. The chickens didn't really like Zip, either.

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted around them, and the Goblin King was standing in the rain, in mud up to his knees.

'King came out to play with us!' Jang shouted. The goblins all joined her in cheering for the King.

Only Zip noticed the King staring up at the sky in misery.

'Yer majesty...the storm is different now!' Zip shouted to the king over the noise.

'I ... I see that, Zap.' The Goblin King looked down at Zip with sudden interest.

'What is it, King? Why is the rain different?'

'I think she's not afraid, anymore. I think...she's determined, now.'

Zip could not understand why the rain had become more determined. Jang threw a giant glob of mud at him, and suddenly he no longer cared!

Mud was Zip's favorite thing. _Throwing _mud was Jang's favorite thing.

The mud fight that ensued was so rowdy that no one noticed when the king disappeared.

* * *

Jareth was soaked to the bone, and quite frustrated. His favorite boots were quite possibly ruined, he had mud in his hair, and the goblins would probably never be clean again.

Not that they stayed clean for long, or were clean very often.

However, the dreamstorm had changed, and he had no idea why. It had transformed from a fearsome rage of a storm, like a wildcat backed into a corner, to a storm determined to rain until it found what it wanted- or drowned the world if it could not. Something was pushing Sarah along the path to remembrance.

If he were to heed Cailleach Beara's advice, he should be helping her remember right now. He couldn't just give her the memories back- it shouldn't even be possible that she was getting them back on her own.

He swiftly changed clothes and hurried to his personal study. Once he sat down at his desk, he called up a crystal to spy on Sarah- it was a luxury he did not often allow himself since she had grown up so well. He had taken her memories to prevent her from feeling the same pain that he felt over her short time in his home.

_Fear me, love me, do as I say and I shall be your slave._

He was struck by a pang of regret-she was more beautiful than ever.

In the slightly warped view of the crystal, Sarah stood in a small office, covered wall-to-wall with books. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in slightly damp waves- apparently it was raining in her home as well. She was dressed in shades of lilac, a color favored among Jareth's people for their traditional flower of remembrance. There was another woman in the office, older, who was talking to her in a cheerful manner. She handed over three books to Sarah's careful grasp.

The books were very old, it appeared. Intrigued, Jareth twisted the crystal just so. The books appeared closer, and he read the titles.

_A History of the Underworld. _

_The Keepers to the Underground._

_The Labyrinth, Illuminated._

Jareth cursed. They were all books on his people, and he third, a book solely on his charge, the Labyrinth. The first was written by an exiled scholar, a real member of the Tuatha de Danan who never went Underground. The second was by a halfling, like him- half human, half Fey. Unlike the Goblin King, he was long dead. Not every halfling, few though there were, inherited the long-lived tendencies of their magical parent. Some became just as mortal as their human parent.

The third book was written by a woman who, had she been born in the 1400s, would have been treated as a prophet, or perhaps a witch. Much to her misfortune, she was born in America around the turn of the century. Her dream self had wandered the Labyrinth many times, and Jareth had become well acquainted with the girl. She had written much of her experience down, and painted what she could not put to words. Her parents did not like the willful, spirited and creative girl that she became through those experiences, and paid a doctor to take a knife to her brain. She'd spent the rest of her life a vegetable, locked up and hidden from the world. Her work was found, and published, by a younger sibling- a feat that Jareth had helped accomplish. He was not so sure of that feat now, not if it could destroy his home.

Inside the crystal, Sarah thanked the older woman and left. Jareth watched her for a while longer, trying to decide what to do next.

The roll of thunder outside his castle made the decision for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah sat, her feet curled under her, with a cup of coffee and _The Labyrinth, Illuminated_ in her lap. She wasn't really sure what drove Ms. Duncan to give her this particular book. It was a book written and illustrated in the early twenties by a girl who had apparently suffered psychotic episodes. No one ever bothered to tell the girl that the 'episodes' that she described, where she had wandered through a place documented by ancient scholars and mingled with gods and goddesses of a mythology she'd never even heard of, were of interest to historians and occultists world-round. It all could be a load of bunk.... or it could be a genuine look into the Labyrinth, if such a thing actually existed. And the art that accompanied it was amazing!

Sarah was quickly lost in the book. The first illustration, done in a faded glossy photo common in the '50's, showed an oil painting of a small blue and white worm with a tiny red scarf.

She could almost picture him talking, inviting her in for tea, In her head, the blue worm had an adorable cockney accent.

The next illustration was a charcoal sketch of a labyrinth from above, with a thriving city and a castle in the center. Sarah tilted the book to the left and to the right, trying to find a pathway through it. Finally, she gave up and turned the page.

The next illustration was a leather-gloved hand, holding a pyramid of crystal globes. In the globes, there were distorted images- barely visible faces, flashes of color, a flower.

For some reason, this illustration bothered her. She quickly flipped the page, hoping to get past the crystal globes and whatever it was about them that frightened her.

A comical pair of door knockers, mounted on weathered, wooden doors greeted her on the next page. They were brass faces, one with a knocker in his mouth, and the other in his nose. Sarah laughed as she imagined them bickering like fishwives- one unable to hear, and the other, unable to do more than mumble. In some ways, they made her think of her parents. Her father never spoke up, and her mother never listened anyway.

That train of thought made her suddenly very sad, so she turned the page.

The next page held not pictures or drawings, but a story. It was called 'The Loneliness of the Goblin King', and was credited to the same girl who did the illustrations.

Sarah read through the story, which told how one of the last kings of the Tuatha de Danan had fallen in love with a mortal girl, and fathered a child on her. When the son was born, it was evident to his mother that he was more magical than mortal, and she left him at the doorstep of the palace before fleeing the wrath of MacCuill's wife. The halfling was raised in isolation because of his parentage, but still managed to become friends with many of the stranger people of his father's kingdom. Finally, the story told how the Children of Danu decided to move Underground and away from the encroaching mortals, and how the last king, MacCuill, charged his halfling son with guarding the way to the Underground by giving him lordship over the Labyrinth and its goblin horde. The only problem the new Goblin King had with his position was the lack of true friends, for the goblins were not his equals, and most of his father's people avoided the Labyrinth for fear of being changed forever. (Sarah was momentarily confused as to how the Labyrinth could change a person forever, but the story gave no further explanation.) So the Goblin King languished alone in his kingdom full of child-like goblins and crazy creatures, searching for some bit of happiness on his own.

Sarah felt a pang of loneliness as she finished the story. To be alone, forever, and pushed away by all that you knew...

She flipped the page.

Staring up at her, in glorious, saturated color, was a face that she had seen in her dreams last night.

Blonde hair spiked this way and that, in a style that was meant to look careless but somehow came off as complicated. Delicate eyebrows tilted up where a human's would tilt down. His eyes were odd- she could not tell if they were different colors, or if one pupil was larger than the other. The lips were thin, as was the nose- the overall expression on the man's face was haughty, with a hint of amusement.

_Fear me, love me, do as I say....and I will be your slave!_ A voice echoed in her head.

The face was so familiar, she could almost see him talking to her, taunting her, begging...

Sarah slammed the book shut.

'This is NOT research. This book has nothing to do with my thesis.'

Thunder outside boomed in response. Apparently, the weather disagreed.

* * *

Jareth was breaking his own personal rule by watching Sarah in a crystal again. The storm outside his castle was worse, and he had sent a messenger out with a call for help to an old friend. While passing the time, he sat on his throne, a crystal in one hand, his chin resting on the other, staring at the dark-haired woman. He had spied on her more in the last week than in the previous year- so much for breaking the habit!

The girl who had rejected him so roundly had blossomed into a beautiful woman, but he did notice one thing- she was singularly isolated. A few pets, a token phone call from a relative, and her classes with students that she didn't know or care to relate to... this was her only real contact with the outside world.

As he watched her, she flipped idly through the worst possible choice, from Jareth's point of view, of the three books her teacher had lent her. The book held artistic representation of the denizens of his Labyrinth, and could bring back her memories violently. She smiled and laughed over various paintings that poor Margaret had created. Jareth waited with growing tension as she turned to the story in the middle. It was a story of how he came to be, as he told Margaret not long before her parents had her altered permanently. It was accompanied by a portrait she had painted of him, as he had never had done before. The original now hung in his father's study, a Midwinter gift from a favored son.

Jareth knew the exact moment Sarah turned the page to the portrait. Her hand flew to her mouth- she recognized him! But, judging from her reaction, she did not know where she knew him from.

Suddenly, she slammed the book shut, speaking aloud and apparently to herself. Whatever she said, however, was covered up by the roll of thunder.

The storm was getting stronger.

'King! King! The old man with the talking hat is waitin for ya!' A small voice piped up from somewhere around the vicinity of his knees.

Jareth looked down to see one of his more loyal goblins standing before him, holding a tea cozy and looking rather frightened.

'Thank you, Jungo.' He stood up to go greet the old man, leaving a stunned goblin in his wake.

No kicks? And a thank you?

Something was wrong!

Predictably, Jareth found the old man asleep on the steps to his throne room, his hat chattering amicably with the air around it.

'Always sleeping on the job, I tell you, a kick in the ribs would wake him right up, why couldn't I have been an accountant or a manhole guard or a florist like they always said I should do...'

'Ahem.' Jareth cleared his throat, and nudged the sleeping man with his foot.

'Huh? Yes?' The old man grumbled, apparently waking up.

'Now he wakes up, of course...' The bird-hat sighed.

'I called you, Old Man, for your advice on the dreamstorm.' Jareth said simply.

'He's the king, you dolt! Pay attention!'

'Ahh, dreamstorm. You mean the havoc poor Sarah is causing...' The old man answered, stroking his long beard.

'Yes. Is there any way I can stop it?'

'I understand you've already talked to the Storm Hag about this? What about Ibonmeth?'

'She's....detained, at the present.'

'I hear she's got the lead in Swan Lake! Ahahahaa!' The bird on the old man's head chortled, earning him a glare from the Goblin King and a swat from the old man.

'Goblin King, this storm is dangerous to us, but it is also dangerous to young Sarah.' The old man said, pointedly ignoring his hat. 'If she does not find help soon, her dreaming could have consequences. Where she lives now is notorious for severe storms- ocean storms from the south, and prairie storms from the north. If a natural storm is anywhere near her, it could leech the power of the dreamstorm into her own realm.'

'I've looked in on her several times. It appears that it's been raining for some time now in her home.'

'Oh dear, Mr. King, I think the old man is asleep!' The bird-hat announced when the old man was silent.

Indeed, he was asleep again, a contribution box held out pointedly in front of him. Jareth sighed and pulled a coin from the air. It made a dull clanging noise as it fell into the box, which apparently woke up the old man again.

'Huh? What? Why are you still here? I thought you would have gone to bring the girl here! Surely you would know to lessen her influence Aboveground would lessen the storm here as well!'

'Oy.....It's so terribly interesting to be his hat, King!' The hat rolled its eyes, but Jareth was already gone.

* * *

Sarah was concerned. The storm had picked back up again, leaving her street a flooded river. The weatherman had been breaking in on her show every five minutes, talking about flood warnings and wall clouds, watches and wind speeds. This storm was not going away! The thunder and lightning were growing louder and brighter with every passing minute. Myth was huddled under the desk, shaking profusely, and Marian was nowhere to be found. Sarah had finally huddled up with a warm blanket in front of her TV, watching Lost and desperately trying to ignore the booming of the thunder. She did not like storms, and this one was proving to be a bad one.

Suddenly, the noise lessened. Had the wind stopped? Was the rain slowing down?

Myth shook harder, rattling the desk with the force of her fear.

Sirens began to sound outside. Being from New England, Sarah was not sure what the sirens meant- an air raid? Surely not...

Lost was promptly interrupted by the weatherman again, and suddenly Sarah felt like an idiot.

TORNADO SPOTTED JUST OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS....

Tornado sirens.

Karen had warned her about tornadoes and the weather in Texas, in general. But it was fall, and her step-mother had said that tornadoes usually happened only in spring and summer**. **Why would there be a tornado in October?

Just as the siren reached the height of its wailing, someone pounded on her front door. She scrambled up to answer it, hoping it wasn't someone seeking shelter from the storm.

She opened the door and was greeted by a sopping wet, windblown visitor from her dreams.

The man in the painting, the man from her dreams, stood in front of her, dripping and looking rather frustrated.

'What...?' Sarah gasped, and moved to shut the door on him again.

'No time, Sarah. I need you to come with me!' The man knew her name. Curiouser and curiouser.

'I don't....' She moved away from the door.

'Make a wish, Sarah. Wish to be safe from the storm! I will make it happen, and then I will explain!' The man sounded almost frightened.

Sarah noticed, belatedly, that the wind had picked up again. She also heard a loud pop, and her power turned off. If she hadn't been so confused, she would have laughed at the loss of power, twice in two days! The wind was quickly becoming louder than before, moving so fast she couldn't hear her next words come out of her mouth.

'I wish to be safe from the storm!'

The man's eyes locked on hers, and for a moment all she saw were those strange eyes.

Then, she noticed that it was considerably quieter.

'You're him, aren't you?' Sarah sighed. 'You're the Goblin King...' She was experiencing extreme déjà vu.

'Yes, I am, Sarah. Welcome back to my home.'

* * *

Far to the northeast of Texas, Toby Williams was surfing the internet out of sheer boredom. Life was so boring with his sister Sarah gone! He was too manly to admit that he missed her, but bored enough to admit that she made life interesting. Idly, he wondered what the weather was like in College Station. He decided to visit , thinking maybe it was warm, 70 degrees maybe, and sunny. There was already six inches of snow outside at home, and school had been called off that day.

What he found was interesting. 60 degrees, tornado watches and a thunderstorm warning. A tornado had been spotted close to his sister's home!

'Hey, Mom! Come check this out!'

Karen peeked around the corner from the kitchen. 'Yes, dear?' she asked.

'Sarah's in the middle of a tornado!'


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it. Sorry this chapter is shorter, I just can't think of anything to add before I move on. Also....this one is high drama! :D

* * *

The Goblin King was rather tired of being wet. It seemed like all he had done over the past few days was get wet, and occasionally muddy, and then have to change clothes again- only to be soaked again from the continuous storm outside his castle. He'd ruined three pairs of his favorite boots this week alone.

He did notice, however, the storm had died down to a light shower. Whether the storm Aboveground had done the same, he could not tell.

One thing that was not calming down, however, was Sarah herself.

'What do you mean, welcome _back_?' she shrieked at him, skittering backwards like a nervous horse.

'I mean, Sarah, that this is not the first time you've been to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Although, it is in better repair than when you last visited.'

'So what? What does that mean?'

'It means, you precious thing, that you all but destroyed the Castle the last time you were here!' Jareth snapped.

'What was I doing here before?' For some reason, this whole conversation seemed familiar to Sarah.

'You wished young Toby away to me, and then you ran the Labyrinth to get him back.'

'I would never.... I couldn't have wished away Toby! I talked to him less than a week ago!' She stammered.

'You won, precious. You beat me, rejected my offer of your dreams, wrecked the place and left with your brother.' The Goblin king sighed.

'Huh. I guess you deserved to have your castle destroyed, then, for taking my brother in the first place.' She quipped, really looking around her for the first time.

She heard giggles, but could not see anything other than tan stone and chickens.

'Why are there chickens?' She asked, suddenly distracted.

'The Goblins keep the little pests as companions. Pets, as it were.' The Goblin King answered, swiping his gloved hand at the water dripping down his face. 'Sarah, in the past we were enemies, but only because that was what you imagined me to be. Right now, I'd like for us to at least tolerate each other.'

'We were...enemies? Then why am I here?' Sarah backed away from Jareth further, only to trip over a chicken. She landed flat on her back, hard enough to see stars. As she blinked them away, her vision was crowded with the most unusual of creatures- they were all different, but with an air of sameness about them, with skin like bad potatoes. One had a funny nose, another had tusks, and one had rabbit ears.

She reached out to touch the one with the long ears, but her hand met air. The Goblin King had scattered the funny creatures and was kneeling beside her.

'A ionúine, precious, are you hurt?' He murmured to her.

Sarah blinked. Something in her head was screaming at her, telling her to back away.

Another part of her was commenting on how delicious this Goblin King looked.

A third part was quoting....poetry? A play? That part confused her more than any of the others.

Slowly, she reached out for support, and the Goblin King gripped her hand to helped her sit up.

'Sarah?'

'Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered....' The words were coming out of her mouth, but she was unsure if she was acting of her own accord now. She was surprised when the King closed his eyes briefly, as if he were in sudden, acute pain. She wanted to soothe his pain- but she could not understand why! All she knew was that to see him in pain was to be in pain herself.

Sarah reached out her free hand and traced her fingers down the Goblin King's face. Water was still dripping from his hair, running down the sides of his face like tears. Idly, she realized he had beautiful, if unusual, eyes.

'… I have fought my way to the Castle beyond the Goblin City....'

'Sarah...'

The detached part of Sarah noticed that their faces were very close, and that the Goblin King had gone very still.

'I have fought my way back to the Goblin City to take back what you have stolen.'

Sarah kissed him.

* * *

The first thing to come to Jareth's attention as soon as Sarah kissed him was how soft her lips were. The second thing was that this was very unusual for someone who did not remember him. So it was with great dismay that he pulled away from her, especially since his hind-brain was demanding that he explore the possibilities intimately, right now.

'Sarah, you're not yourself,' he said.

'I'm fully aware that I have no idea what is going on.' She responded, laughter in her voice.

'You despised me, the last time we met.'

'If I'm to believe you, you stole my little brother.'

'At your own personal request! And you won him back in the end!'

'And you spent the whole time propositioning me! I was 15, Jareth!' Sarah yelled suddenly, and then paused.

'Sarah....' Jareth could not bear to ask her if she remembered, but he was aware that a blow to the head was known to restore memories.

'Your name....It's Jareth! I knew that. How did I know that?' Sarah looked very confused.

'I'm not sure I ever told you my name.' He was a bit puzzled himself. He leaned back and away from Sarah. He found the scent of her was distracting. She suddenly looked up at him, eyes very wide.

'Told me your name? What are you talking about? Where am I?'

'Sarah-' Jareth never got to finish his sentence, as Sarah's eyes rolled back into her head. He managed to catch her before she hit her head again, but this time, she was unconscious.

* * *

Zip thought that the Lady was very pretty. She looked very delicate, as if a single scratch and she would fall apart, and he didn't think you could put her together again, like the fireys.

He had never seen anyone besides goblins, chickens, and the King inside the throne room, mostly because it was smelly and full of goblins and chickens, not to mention the king.

Zip had also never seen anyone touch the King the way the Lady had. He thought, surely the King would kick the lady! The King kicked everyone that came close to him! But all they did was touch for a minute, and then the Lady was asleep.

Zip could hear the rain outside start to get louder.

He was starting to get tired of being wet.

Zip watched the King pick up the Lady with mild interest.

The King knew what was best for the Lady, he was sure.

Behind him, someone had started a chicken-tossing contest, and suddenly Zip didn't care about the lady any more. He was much more interested in removing the chicken from his head before it damaged his ears!

* * *

'If I told that girl once, I told her a thousand times...' Karen sighed, drying her hands as she came to the computer.

'Yeah, Mom, I get it. Texas, tornadoes, houses falling in, blah blah blah....' Toby quipped, clicking on the news link.

The website announced, in glaring red letters, 'TORNADO STRIKES IN COLLEGE STATION! HOMES DESTROYED!'

'Mom, I think we should call her!' Toby announced as he read through the story. 'It says that there were like, a dozen houses knocked over, and power is out, and they're calling it some kind of freak storm...'

Karen nodded, looking a little concerned.

'She's always been a strange girl, but that doesn't mean I don't love her. I'll call right now.' She reached over to the phone and dialed the number.

'_We're sorry, the number you have dialed is out of service. Please try again later.'_

'Toby...go get your father.' Karen could not hide the concern in her voice, so Toby obeyed without question.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for reading my little story.... I really appreciate it.

The Labyrinth does not belong to me.

* * *

Jareth had not really thought of what he needed to do once he had Sarah in the Labyrinth.

'Lessen her influence, the old man said. Show her the past, the Morrigan said. No one ever told me she would kiss me and then promptly pass out...' He grumbled.

Fortunately, he had prepared for her staying in the Labyrinth many, many years ago. Of course, back then it was under different circumstances that he had hoped she would stay. Still holding an unconscious Sarah, he carefully opened the door that had been his destination. It was a room decorated in greens and golds, colors that had always made him think of Sarah. The furnishings were heavy, dark wood, and covered in dust. He had not been in here in nearly 10 years, since the night Sarah had rejected him. Looking at the room as it was, he realized it wasn't exactly in line with a 15 year old girl's ideals in a bedroom, amusingly. All that Jareth had cared about at the time was that the wood reminded him of the dark beauty of her hair, and the green reminded him of her innocent eyes.

Jareth delicately set her down on the bed. She mumbled something and clutched at his hands as he moved to brush her hair away from her face.

He leaned close to her to better understand her mumblings.

'Do you... d'ya hear the thunder? Myth is probably terrified....'

'Myth? Who is Myth?' he asked her, softly. As if she had heard him, she mumbled again.

'I wish Myth and Marian were here....'

Outside, the storm rumbled. Jareth, however, did not hear it. He was suddenly nose to nose with a very large, very angry cat. He was also very confused- he had heard Sarah make the wish, but did not act upon it to grant it. How, then, was this possible?

A cold nose presented itself in the most sensitive area possible.

Apparently, Sarah had both a dog and a cat, and while the cat did not seem too friendly at the moment, the dog was cheerfully greeting him in her own canine manner.

Jareth had never been a person to have many pets. The goblins seemed to be more like pets as it was, and the whole kingdom was overrun with a menagerie of crazy animals if that did not suit. So the large, black dog currently investigating him from all angles concerned him. He ignored her as well as he could as the original problem was still at hand: how did the beasts get there? Did the Labyrinth sense the wish, and Jareth's lack of understanding, and fulfill it for Sarah? Did the pets have their own mystical powers?

The cat crawled its way up the draperies on the side of the bed, and stared menacingly down at him.

'Come now, puss. I think it's time to get down from there...' Jareth said, and reached up to gently grab the cat.

It swiped, once, and let out a low rumble of a growl. Jareth's gloves were now shredded. The cat had left his flesh intact, thankfully.

Three pairs of boots, and now a set of gloves, ruined.

'Fine. Have it your way.' Jareth said, and left.

* * *

It was incredibly dry, wherever Sarah was. The sun was pounding down, high and hot and orange. There was only the slightest trace of wind.

'Where am I?' Sarah croaked out, her voice dry with disuse.

'The Center of the Labyrinth,' a voice called out behind her.

Sarah spun around to see who had spoken. All around her, she noticed suddenly, tan brick walls loomed menacingly. Seemingly dwarfed by these walls was a young girl, dressed all in flowing white linen. The girl had blonde hair and green eyes with an impish gleam in them.

'Wh...who are you?' Sarah asked.

'Many things. For the moment, I am the Labyrinth.' The girl stepped forward slowly, allowing Sarah to see that she was unarmed and harmless. She smiled widely.

'You're the Labyrinth? That's the doorway to the Underground, right? Where all the elves went!' Sarah was now convinced this was all a dream. This sly looking girl was getting closer and closer to her, and all Sarah wanted to do was retreat. She made Sarah uncomfortable.

'Sarah, do you know why the Tuatha de Danan went Underground?' The girl's voice was cultured and had an almost musical timbre.

'I...I'm not really sure.'

'Lack of belief, Sarah. Humans stopped believing. Danu was only followed by her Children....the humans were lured away by Christianity and the White Christ King. When faced with inquisitions, burnings and torture, it was no longer prudent to believe in magic. Prophets who saw visions in fire, created creatures from dirt and thought, and gazed into crystals for insight were shunned and destroyed by those they once helped. And so, the Children of Danu went underground, to lands of their own making, far from prying eyes.' As the girl spoke, the walls shifted around her. They opened up, showing a woman torn from her home, dragged behind horses, and finally tied to a stake to be burned.

As quickly as the walls had disappeared, so did they appear again, hiding the woman just as the fire was licking up her skirt.

'Who was that? The woman who was burning, who was she?' Sarah asked.

'She was my ancestor. My many-times grandmother. She was a servant in the great palace of the Tuatha de Danan's last kings, chosen for her keen eye and pretty face. She was the plaything of a mighty man. She was the mother of the last of the Children born Aboveground, for all that her child was a halfling. What you saw was her being burned by her village as a witch,' the girl conculded with a voiced turned to sharpened icicles.

'I don't understand. Why are you showing me this?'

'Her son stole your memories to protect you. He wanted you to grow up, safe and secure in the knowledge that your kind are the masters of your fate. And he wanted to forget about you. So he made you forget about him.' The girl turned to Sarah, her green eyes burning like a sickly fire.

'He underestimated you, and what you are. And there are those that see beneath his charade of power, to see the howling loneliness within his soul.'

'Who stole my memories? The Goblin King?'

'He stole your memories to protect you from himself. Sarah, I am giving you his memories, his past. Use them to protect you both.' The girl held out a crystal globe.

'I don't understand!'

'Ask the Swan. Ask the Hag. Ask the King.' the girl intoned formally, and then tossed the crystal to Sarah. Instinctively, she reached out to grab it, but when it touched her, it burst.

The world fell down around Sarah.

* * *

Sarah's head ached with a capital A. A number of curses and foul words came to mind, but none seemed strong enough for the situation. She had no immediate recollection of where she was, only that it was dark, and cool, and Myth was with her.

Gold eyes flashed at her from the corner of the room. Apparently Marian, her cat, was present and accounted for as well.

Gently, Sarah sat up. The ache in her head intensified.

'Hello? Is anyone there?' She called out.

Silence answered her.

She swung her feet off of the bed, and brushed cold stone.

'It's so dark...' she sighed.

The light in the room increased, allowing her to finally see her surroundings. For a moment, Sarah marveled at the sudden light, and then truly looked at where she was.

The walls were a dark gray stone, covered in great stretches of green silk. There was a medieval tapestry of a maiden and a unicorn on the wall above the bed. The furniture was done in a glorious, glossy dark wood. Sarah loved it. From the fourposter bed to the desk and dresser, they all had the sort of ancient richness about them that she found truly beautiful.

Sitting atop the dresser was a small chest of a lighter wood, inlaid with gold flowers. Sarah's eye was drawn to it by the light glinting off of the delicate gold, and she decided to go investigate. As she stepped forward, her feet sank into a plush carpet and she looked down to see floor was covered with thick green rugs. They were soft under her feet, as if she were walking on air.

The chest was covered in a thick layer of dust, for all that everything around it gleamed with polish. Carefully, Sarah brushed off the lid. It appeared to have letters carved in some delicate script, in some language Sarah could not read. She leaned over and blew on the chest, hoping to get more of the dust off.

The chest made a soft clicking noise, and the lid popped open.

Three things were nestled in the red velvet interior of the box: a simple silver circlet, a small silver amulet on a thick chain, and a delicate crystal.

'Well, hello there... where did all this come from?' She whispered, reaching out to touch the crystal.

Suddenly, the lights went out, leaving Sarah in total darkness.

'Shit.'

* * *

The Center of the Labyrinth was always a particularly dry place, for all that it wasn't in the realm of the physical. Jareth had decided to visit it for two reasons- one, he needed to speak with his Labyrinth, and two, maybe it would dry out his soul a bit. He still felt soggy.

Strangely enough, there were unfamiliar footprints in the dirt, as if someone else had been there recently.

'Come out and play, my friend...' Jareth called out.

A small figure stepped out of the shadows. Apparently, the Labyrinth wanted to play games tonight- its avatar had yet to choose a form.

'Hello, Goblin King.'

The voice that rang out was familiar to him in his bones, and so he tensed. As he waited, the figure took a permanent shape.

'Hello, Mother.'

'To what do I owe this lovely visit? You never come to see me any more...' The Labyrinth had a light and playful voice, and a wicked smile on her pale face.

'Yes, well, I'm not fond of surprises. I have a visitor, one that I'm sure you remember, and a dream storm raging over the castle. I need advice.' Jareth said, not looking at the woman directly.

'Yes, we remember Sarah,' the woman paused.

'And? What do I do? Do I let her subconsciously destroy me? You? Everything?'

'She won't. Not if you give her back her memories.'

'I can't. I gave them to the Labyrinth, as I do to every memory I take.' Jareth was feeling incredibly frustrated. He ran his hands, through his hair in an attempt to tame it as he wish he could his own frustration.

Suddenly, the woman changed form. She went from a tall, willowy woman with the knowledge of time in her eyes, to a dainty child just blossoming.

'Margaret.' the Goblin King sighed.

'Hello, Jareth.'

'I'm not sure if this is an improvement. You, or my mother?'

'You wound us. We are trapped here, and you never come and see us. You only bother to stop by when you need something.'

'Yes, well, I prefer to commune with the living, not the dead.' Jareth snapped. He took a breath to still his irritation. 'Back to the problem at hand, please?'

'Of course, Goblin King. I have a riddle for you.' Margaret, the Voice of the Labyrinth, stepped close to the King.

'Sovereignty had 50 children, 7 husbands, and many lovers. Her descendants cover the earth like the grass, or the rocks. Entire tribes have the blood of the Sovereign in their veins. How is it that you can recognize your own flesh and blood, many times diluted, and not see this?'

'Sovereignty. The Cailleach Beara? Does she even have living descendants?'

The girl stared at the king, not speaking.

'Ah, right. So, what do I do, Margaret? Ask the voices of the Labyrinth on my behalf, would you?' Jareth asked.

Suddenly, there were dozens, perhaps hundreds of figures in white surrounding him.

'Give her back her memories, Jareth. They are our gift to you.' Margaret said. She held out a crystal to Jareth.

'Will it stop the dream storm?' Jareth asked as he took the crystal.

'If you give it to her....' one voice called out to the left of him.

'And she understands...' another voice intoned.

'And she forgives...' a third voice said.

'Then Yes. It will stop the dream storm.' Margaret finished.

They were alone in the Labyrinth.

'Jareth...' The girl sighed.

'I know, my dear. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. I did my best to help you.' The King looked down at the girl.

'Still.... How is my brother?'

'He's ill. His youngest child is named Margaret. She is a champion for patient's rights in America now.'

'Good. I'm glad....'

'Margaret. I have to go.'

The girl was gone.

* * *

For the record, Margaret was the girl who wrote the book and painted the Labyrinth. I've taken bits of her story from the life of Rosemary Kennedy, who was lobotomized at age 23 for being moody, assertive and agitated. She went from a normal young woman to being completely unable to care for herself, or even able to speak.

More on the story of Margaret later.


	6. Chapter 6

Jareth opened his eyes. He understood what he had to do now. The crystal the Labyrinth had given him, presumably full of Sarah's memories, lay dormant in his hand.

He was in his own chambers, far from the room he had placed Sarah, but he still heard her voice.

She cursed. He could hear her cursing halfway across the castle.

That was not a good sign.

With a thought, and a twist of his magic, he was in front of the door to her room.

For some reason, it was as dark as night in this wing, for all that it was well past dawn outside.

He knocked.

'Goblin King, that better be you! I've about broken a leg in here**,**' Sarah called out frantically.

'It is. Do I have your permission to enter, then?' Jareth tried, and failed, to keep the amusement out of his voice.

'Yes! And turn the lights on while you're at it!' She howled, and another string of curses erupted. They were followed by a loud crash and that blasted cat meowing at the top of its lungs.

The lights returned to their normal state as Jareth opened the door. He was expecting a small mess, perhaps some broken furniture or a chicken. He found Sarah flat on her back with a coverlet tangled around her legs, the cat sitting on her chest, and the dog chasing a goblin around the room at top speed.

He couldn't help himself--he laughed.

'I would hurt you right now if I could.' Sarah growled.

'I'm sorry, oh, but you should see your face!' Jareth chortled. He reached down and tugged the blankets free of Sarah's legs. The cat decided now would be a good time to start a bath, but Sarah shooed it away before things got too furry.

'Where did the goblin come from?' Jareth asked. The dog pounced, and finally caught its prey. However, the dog was perfectly content to lick and sniff the goblin until it dissolved in its own fit of giggles.

'I have no idea. I had just woken up from the strangest dream,' Sarah said, but then suddenly looked thoughtful. 'And...uh...the lights went out.'

'A strange dream, Sarah? What did you dream of?' Jareth asked.

'I forget.'

'...Sarah...'

'Look, why should I trust you? I'm not sure why I'm here, who you are, or what is going on, and I've got the _biggest_ headache ever!' Sarah shouted suddenly. 'I hate surprises, just like I hate riddles and being told what to do. So when some girl in a nightgown tries to do both, I'm not sure I want to go along with her plans!'

'Girl in a nightgown...' Jareth repeated. 'Sarah, did she say her name?'

'No! She just acted all high and mighty and tried to give me a history lesson, and then told me to talk to a swan. Who has dreams about talking to swans? And witches burning. I just want to go home!' Sarah's voice was getting more petulant by the second.

Outside her window, lightning flashed. The rain began to fall again.

'Sarah, I have to give you something**,**' Jareth said. He pulled the crystal out of the air, and held it out to her.

'Oh, right. I have to give you this thing, too.' Sarah reached behind her, into a chest that had fallen to the ground, and pulled out a similar crystal. She held it out to him.

'Where did you get that?'

'Where did you get yours? Did the nightie girl give you one, too?' Sarah asked, tilting her head to one side.

'Perhaps.'

'Hmm. Perhaps I was given this one by the same individual. How do you make it work?' She reached out and plucked Jareth's offering as he accepted hers.

'Turn it this way, Sarah,' Jareth said, demonstrating. 'Turn it, and it will show you its contents.'

'Like this?' The crystal in Sarah's hand began to glow with a gentle white light. Jareth's crystal answered with a soft blue glow. He held it closer to his face.

'What does this mean?' Sarah asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

'Sarah, give me your hand.' Jareth said, his voice equally quiet.

Their fingers met in the distance between them- Sarah's, shaking, and Jareth's, hot even through the gloves.

'What happens next?'

Darkness fell around them like a curtain.

* * *

'_I hate you. I hate you!'_

Jareth and Sarah stood, clutching each other's hands tightly, in an all-too-familiar living room.

'_Honestly. She treats me like a wicked stepmother in a story no matter what I do!'_

'Goblin King! I know what this is...' Sarah suddenly hissed as she watched her parents, many years younger, walk around the living room.

'This looks like the first memory I took from you...' Jareth sighed. 'And my name... it's Jareth. Use it.'

Sarah pretended not to hear him. 'We should go upstairs**.**' Still clutching Jareth's hand, she dragged him up the stairs. She heard her parents slam the door downstairs as they left.

_'Say your right words..__**.**__.'_ The younger Sarah was reciting a story to baby Toby. Jareth knew what was coming, but Sarah didn't**. **She watched the whole scene with confusion.

_'I wish the goblins really would come and take you away. Right now.'_

'I don't remember this...**.** I would have never done this!' Sarah whispered fiercely. Outside, the past storm raged, and the creatures Sarah now knew were goblins tormented Sarah inside.

Jareth could not help but smile as he saw himself crash the doors open and enter dramatically.

_'You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King!' _Young Sarah cried out, and Jareth saw the older Sarah whisper the words, as well.

Sarah turned to face Jareth. 'I won. I beat you. I got Toby back.' She said, almost questioningly.

Jareth saw the knowledge in her eyes. She was starting to remember.

'You did.'

'But... I hurt you. Is that why you took my memories away?'

'Sarah...**.**'

'And what about Sir Didymus? And Hoggle and Ludo? Did you take their memories away too? Or did you let them think I didn't want to talk to them? That I had broken my promise to them?'

Jareth said nothing.

The curtain of darkness fell again.

* * *

'Where are we now?' Sarah whispered, as tiny points of light became visible.

'I'm not sure...' Jareth said, his voice barely audible. All of his senses were warning him that wherever they were, it was very dangerous. He placed a finger over Sarah's lips to forestall her next bit of commentary.

A figure slipped past them in the dark, her feet making no noise on the marble floors. She carried something close to her chest.

It dawned on Jareth where they were, suddenly. He had been raised here. It was the Aboveground court of the Unseelie Sidhe.

This was a very long time ago.

Acting on a hunch, Jareth moved to follow the slight figure. Sarah followed him, still clutching his hands tightly.

Voices faded into hearing.

_'You fathered a brat on a mortal woman, and yet I can give you no son! How am I supposed to feel about this, Ethur?'_

Jareth froze, his heart pounding in his chest.

The figure placed her tiny bundle on the steps in front of her. The door was cracked just enough to let a single bar of light break the darkness.

'It's a baby**,**' Sarah whispered in amazement. As if the child knew it was under discussion, it began wailing fiercely. The figure paused, as if to help the child, but then turned and ran.

The door flew open, flooding the hallway with light. A gloriously tall woman, with skin the color of new-plowed earth, stood above the child.

'_Your plaything has left you a gift, my __K__ing!'_

_'You'll scare the child, __Banba__. Bring him in here.'_

'Is that you, Jareth?' Sarah whispered, close enough for her lips to touch Jareth's ear. She had remembered the stories that she had read about the Guardian of the Labyrinth**:** a bastard child of the Last King, who was given rule over the Labyrinth as his dual nature allowed him to understand the mortals who were wished away, and yet still be a member of the Court of Danu.

'_For a half-mortal child, he's finely formed. I sense a strong soul in this one.'_

_'Yes. But Cailleach Beara has seen him already, and the Morrigan agreed. He'll have a hard life ahead. I'm not surprised his mother abandoned him.'_

'Yes**, **it is,' Jareth said as a shudder ran through his body. 'My mother abandoned me when I was just weeks old, and left to return to her village.'

Sarah was silent as the darkness fell again.

* * *

The darkness turned to grey, and then finally to a faded yellow light Sarah had associated with the Labyrinth. There were no windows, and no obvious sources of light, but Sarah knew where they were. The first memory had brought about her recollection of her time in the Labyrinth, from Hoggle and the Gate to the room they stood in now- a room full of stairs and doorways. There was no horizon, and stairs went upside down, sideways, and curved in impossible directions.

An infant Toby, in red and white striped pajamas, crawled up the stairs closest to them.

'_Toby!'_

Toby caught a crystal ball as it came bouncing towards him, and smiled. He tilted his head, and Sarah locked eyes with the infant.

'Jareth, he sees us.'

'It's just a memory, Sarah. He doesn't know we are here because we aren't really here.' The Goblin King's voice was strangled. This room was still destroyed in his castle**;** he had taken his own memory of this moment for a reason.

'_How you've turned my world__**,**_ _you precious thing...'_

'You sound so sad**,**' Sarah whispered, as she listened to Jareth sing.

'_You starve and near exhaust me...__**.**__'_

'That's because I was.'

'_Toby!'_

The room began to fall apart, and Sarah unconciously clutched Jareth's shirt as they fell. It was only natural for him to wrap his arms around her shoulders protectively. When they landed, it was on a solid piece of stone that floated a distance a way from the past-Jareth and Sarah. They watched the scene unfold in silence.

_'Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered...'_

Through her palms on Jareth's chest, she felt his heartbeat speed up rapidly. She was suddenly aware of every inch of space they shared together, and so took a step back.

'Jareth...?'

'This is a memory I took from both of us. I wanted to spare myself the pain of your rejection.'

_'Fear me, love me...'_

'I was 15. I had no idea what you were offering. I just had to get my brother back, don't you see?' Sarah said softly, seeing the anguish on the Goblin King's face.

_'You have no power over me!'_

The words echoed throughout the destroyed room.

'You had no idea what I was giving. What I did for you. I had only hope, and the image that you had conjured of me.' He would not meet her eyes. 'Every trick I played, every setback you had actually brought you closer to the center of the Labyrinth. I had....I had hoped that you would see that, and think kindly of me.'

'I couldn't see that, then. All I could see was losing Toby and never forgiving myself.'

'And so I took our memories, to spare us both.'

The ground fell from under them, and they grabbed onto each other as the darkness of memory faded again.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry about the gap between chapters! More coming this weekend!

* * *

'_What do you mean, you're going Underground?'_ A petulant, accented voice rang out before Jareth and Sarah hit the ground, or even before they could see where they were. The fall was gentle, but Jareth stepped away from Sarah as soon as he could.

'_My son, the humans no longer believe in us. The Goddess has told us we must leave this land, and leave only one to guard the way.'_

A younger, more feral Jareth stood before a man Sarah did not recognize. His skin shone like stars through the trees, and his eyes were a piercing blue-green. He had the same narrow mouth as Jareth, and the same wild hair.

_'I want to come with you. I don't want to stay Above!'_

_'You cannot come with us, but you will not stay above. I am giving you the Labyrinth as your birthright. You will be king...'_

_'King, but not of our people. You will make my sister's husband king.'_

Sarah watched the scene unfold with curiosity.

'_You will funnel their dreams, their imagination to the Labyrinth, and it will take that power and magnify it, allowing us to continue on. It is the way the Goddess commands it. It is the only way for us to survive.'_

_'And I will steal their children. I will be a haven for their bastards, their mistakes, their problems. The souls who make it to the center will never leave, but I see the irony, Father. Do you?'_

'They say it is better to serve in the Summerlands than to rule in Death.' Jareth said, his voice carefully emotionless. Now, more than ever, Sarah wanted to comfort him- first his mother abandoned him, and now his father. She understood, perhaps more than he knew.

'It's not true. Slavery in heaven is still slavery,' Sarah whispered. She reached out a hand, tentatively, and grasped one of his.

A trio of women stepped into the scene. One, Sarah assumed, was Banba, wife of the King and Jareth's father. She was the woman from the memory of Jareth's abandonment by his mother, all coppery skin and fierceness. The second was a stooped, bent old woman with a snaggle-toothed grin. The third was a delicate and pale woman with dark eyes and darker eyebrows. The effect of all the paleness with the dark eyes gave her the distinct look of an elegant bird.

_'Jareth, you do not have to be alone. The Morrigan has prophesied...' _ Banba said.

_'Do you think I care what she has said? First she told you how my magic would take form. Fear, and crystals, and memories. Then she told you my life would be long. And now she tells me to search for a bride amongst the children of the storm. Every prophecy she has made since that one has not come to pass. Why should I listen?' _the young Jareth snapped. He was clearly angry.

The delicate, bird-like woman stepped forward.

_'Son of Ethur, I have a gift for you. Should you ever be lonely... or sad... or afraid.... I can give you something that will allow you to be free.'_

_'Ibonmeth, you have nothing that could set me free.'_

_'Not permanently, no. But for a time, you can fly, and be free.'_ She reached out her hand, and a shadowy form flew from it to young Jareth, before wrapping large white wings around his shoulders and then fading away.

The King spoke again, _'The gift of flight is not one given lightly, my son. Use it wisely.'_

Young Jareth bowed his head.

_'Ach, now, Jareth. You know as well as I that the raw power of belief in the Labyrinth is the only real source of power we have now.' _The crone's voice was deeper than Sarah had imagined. '_It's a great honor, and a great responsibility, lad.'_

_'When will you go?'_

_'Most already have.' _ The words struck the younger man like a blow. It was a punishment, being banished to a place that was halfway between worlds. It was an insult, all of his people leaving without even a goodbye.

'Oh.... Jareth.' Sarah sighed. The Goblin King showed no emotion, but Sarah knew he must be raging inside.

'I don't need your pity, Sarah.'

'There is a difference between pity and sympathy,' she said, after a moment.

The light faded once more.

* * *

The light was brighter than before, this time. They stood in the park outside Sarah's childhood home. Sarah sat on the stone bench before them. She was slightly older than when she went into the Labyrinth, perhaps 18. She looked absolutely miserable.

'This is new,' the older Sarah announced.

After a moment, it became obvious that the younger Sarah was looking into a small hand mirror.

'_I'm so lonely, Hoggle. No one understands me now. My parents thought I was getting better, but now that I've been rejected from Dartmouth, my step-mother won't even talk to me.'_

Sarah's breath caught in her throat.

_'What? No, no one wants to be my friend, not since the goblins egged the principal's house and got junior prom canceled. I haven't had anyone to talk to, who really understands me, except you.' _Tears escaped Young Sarah's eyes.

_'Hell, I'd even talk to the Goblin King.'_

The older Sarah saw the white owl long before the younger Sarah did. It flew from the obelisk by the bridge to the bench where Sarah sat, her shoulders now shaking with the force of her repressed sobs. The owl morphed into the Goblin King with much less pomp and affair than he had previously, and perhaps this was why Sarah did not see him at first.

'_Precious Sarah, don't cry.' _The Goblin King announced his presence with this soft utterance. The sight of the Goblin King did not phase the girl from her tears, however. They only flowed harder as he knelt before her, in all his somber glory.

'_Am I the cause of your tears? I sent the goblins to make you happy. They never meant to alienate you from your friends.'_

_'No, no... it's not that...' _Sarah said between sobs.

_'What is it, then?'_

_'I'd forgotten how beautiful you were...'_

With those words, startling both Sarah and Jareth as they watched the scene, younger Sarah flung herself into Jareth's arms. '_Take me back to the Labyrinth! I don't fit in here! I'd rather be a goblin, or your slave, or anything... I can't do this anymore.'_

'I begged you to take me home with you.' Sarah said, amazed.

'Apparently...' Jareth said.

Before anything else could be said, young Sarah had pressed her lips to Jareth's. It was a desperate move, they both could see. Jareth moved to deepen the kiss, and for a moment they clung to each other in passionate bliss.

The Goblin King of the past pulled away first, and looked at the tear-streaked girl before him. In a moment, she quivered in fear again.

'I can't see you live lonely in my Labyrinth, and I certainly wouldn't see you as a slave, mine or anyone else's. I much prefer you free.' He pulled a crystal from the air, and Sarah stared into it for a moment. Her eyes grew distant and cloudy. After a moment, Jareth stood up, leaving Sarah on her knees in front of the bench, and walked away.

Young Sarah blinked. In the distance, the church bells sounded the time.

'Five o'clock? Oh, _no!_ I'm going to be late to graduation!'

Sarah got to her feet quickly, and started running home.

* * *

The world shifted, and then Sarah was staring at the Goblin King, inside his own castle, in the room that he had decorated to match her eyes.

'The news said there were no casualties yet, Mom,' Toby called from the living room. Karen and Robert were holed up in the office, on the phone with the authorities in College Station.

'_Three people have been reported missing, so far, including graduate student Sarah Williams, resident of New York state. If you have any information about Sarah or anyone else who could be missing, please call this hotline.' _The TV anchorman reported, before moving on to local news for the College Station area.

Toby had gotten up, gone to his room, and dug Lancelot out of the closet. He had put the stuffed animal away not too long ago because having a teddy bear made him feel like a baby, but for some reason the stuffed toy that his sister had given him seemed like the best comfort.

Robert, Toby's father, came out of the office, a dazed Karen in his wake.

'The house at the address we gave them was destroyed. Nothing but rubble. The police officer I talked to said it could be days before we know if she was in there or not.'

Behind him, Karen let out a dry sob.

'We have to call Linda.'

* * *

'Was that you doing your memory magic? When I stared into your crystal?' Sarah asked, her voice distant. Myth padded up to her and licked the side of hand to get Sarah's attention. Sarah reached out to scratch the dog's ears, but kept her eyes locked on Jareth.

'Yes,' he said.

'Did you take your own memories after that? Of me rejecting you, and then throwing myself at you? Of your feelings for me?'

'Yes,' he repeated.

'Do you love me?'

'Yes.'

Sarah blinked, but remained quiet for a moment, unable to say or do anything.

'I need to think,' she finally declared in a voice stronger than she felt.

Jareth disappeared without a word.

With a groan, Sarah got up off of the ground and looked around. She felt grimy and realized she was still in the clothes that she had slept in, and been soaked in, from the storm. She looked around the room, hoping to find a doorway that lead to a bathroom. She found one, half hidden behind the tapestry, and pulled the heavy door open with no little strain. When she looked around, she found a surprise.

'Huh. Modern plumbing. Who knew?'

In a trice, Sarah had her clothes off and the shower running at full force in this curiously modern bathroom running at full force. The hot water pounded at her brain, and between her shoulders where the knot of tension sat. After a moment, she discovered the glass bottles of peach-scented shampoo, and the peach soap. She reveled in the scent for a moment, recalling the poisoned peach that had brought her so close to her childhood dreams.

After all, what girl would want a prince when she had the love of a King?

She scoured herself from head to toe, until her skin was red and angry.

When she could scrub no more, she sat down in the shower and let the water flow over her. At first, she wondered at the magic behind it. For all that it was modern plumbing, the water stayed at precisely the correct temperature. And, when she was done marveling at that triviality, she began to think about Jareth.

Did he love her because she was available?

Did he really even love her?

Did this have anything to do with what Hoggle had said? '_Once you get to the center of the Labyrinth, there's no way you'd get back out again!'_

Did she love him?

Sarah began to cry.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

For the first time in days, it was not raining in the Labyrinth. The strange orange sun was shining with a fierceness Jareth had not seen in years, and the goblins were outside, basking in its strange glow.

Of course, they were all outside because Jareth had launched every single last one of them out the window with a few well placed kicks. He was now staring at the lone chicken in the corner of the room. He supposed he could kick it as well, but the chickens of the Labyrinth were known to rebel.

'Damn.' He was moping. He knew he was moping. He could feel the rejection coming. It hung over his head like the storm clouds that had been there hours before.

Jareth did not even have the willpower to visit with the Labyrinth. Usually, one or two of the souls that took refuge in the bars of his cage might have some insight, some tidbit to cheer him up or to brighten the situation.

And, as if summoned, one of the souls of the Labyrinth suddenly stood before him.

'My son, why are you so upset?' The figure of Jareth's mother appeared before him. He refused to meet her eyes. He could not bear to look at the face of the woman who abandoned him so many years ago.

'I gave her back her memories. And you, or whoever the Labyrinth was acting through at the time, made her give me back mine.'

'We kept the memories you gave us safe for just such an occasion. We knew she would be back, and we knew that you could not keep her memories for long. One of her heritage will never be fooled permanently.'

Jareth stilled.

'One of her heritage? What do you mean?'

'You will see, child.'

'And people wonder why I have a warped sense of humor. The only companions I have are the dead, who speak in riddles, and the goblins, who drink constantly.'

The woman before him looked at him sharply, fire in her eyes. 'We have given you the opportunity to sate your loneliness. We brought Sarah's feelings to the forefront of her mind, even when you had tried to sear them away. We created the need for you to bring her here, in the castle that you call a prison. We have helped you show her the reason for your actions, the loneliness behind your facade. Be grateful, insolent child. We have given you everything you ever asked of us.'

The voice of his mother changed, hardened into something he had never heard before. This was no delicate soul, wronged by her people but forgiving even still. This was a woman who was tired of a child's whining, his declarations that 'it just wasn't fair!'

Jareth finally met her eyes. They were a somber gray, with a brow furrowed with determination.

'Everything we've done, we've done for you and your happiness,' she said forcefully.

Jareth did not answer, but instead stood up, his power roiling out around him like storm clouds. The strange actions of Sarah after her fall suddenly made sense- The Labyrinth had used her disorientation as an excuse, and directed her like a puppet.

The vision of his mother widened her eyes, and flickered like a bad movie.

'Back to the center of the Labyrinth for you, I think,' he said, his voice a deadly whisper.

'Jareth-'

'No.'

With a simple flex of his power, he forced her back to her resting place. His mother was gone. The pressure over his heart lightened.

In the corner, the lone chicken was now joined by a goblin. It grinned a wide, toothy smile at its king, and kicked the chicken.

Jareth had to laugh as the chicken angrily turned and pecked at its attacker.

Footsteps echoed his laughter, and he stopped.

His father stood before him, dressed simply and slightly travel-worn.

'Well, Jareth, is that how you greet your High King?' Ethur said, pretending imperiousness for a moment.

Jareth chuckled, and conjured up a chair for his father to join him.

'You really need a TV. Banba just had one installed in the Royal Bedroom and we've been watching something called 'The Hills'. It's quite interesting.' Ethur said pleasantly.

'What brings you to the Labyrinth?' Jareth asked after a moment.

Ethur took a deep breath before speaking. 'My son, you know that no man can be king of the Tuatha de Danan if he is not whole in all ways.'

'If you're here to tell me the story of great-father Nuada, don't think I haven't heard it before.' Jareth warned.

'No, my son, I'd actually come to see if you had let your mind become whole again.'

Silence filled the throne room, broken intermittently by the squawk of an angry chicken.

'I took back the memories from the Labyrinth today,' Jareth finally replied.

'With the help of the girl, Sarah?' his father asked. He was answered by a curt nod.

'And I see the dreamstorm is gone. So, two birds with one stone.'

'Yes.'

'I sense that is not all that occurred today.'

'In returning her memories to her, and my memories to myself, my feelings for her came out into the open.'

'...And?'

'….And, nothing. She had said nothing, only that she wishes to think.'

'I see.'

'And I had to silence the Labyrinth. I think, perhaps, it had been trying to control Sarah to ensure my happiness.'

'True happiness is a difficult thing to acquire. You should seize it--but only when it is freely given.'

Jareth turned to look at his father. 'There was one thing that has been bothering me. Cailleach Beara, the Morrigan, and the Labyrinth have all told me the same thing.'

Ethur looked thoughtful. 'What is that?'

'They have all said that Sarah is more than she seemed, and alluded to her heritage. The Labyrinth even posed a question to me about the Storm Hag, and her many children. The Labyrinth called her 'Sovereignty', from the times when she declared the new kings of Ireland.'

'What do you think it means?'

'I may have to take Sarah to visit Cailleach Beara.' Jareth sighed. His father nodded his agreement.

Soon enough the conversation turned to pleasantries, as father and son caught up on time lost.

* * *

Sarah had stayed in the shower until she was shriveled and pink, and then gotten out to find deep green towels on the counter waiting for her. She looked at them for a moment, wondering who had placed them there, and then decided it was better not to ask and began to dry.

Interestingly, her clothes were cleaned and dry as well. Again, she chose not to dwell.

Clothing was an armor, Sarah reflected as she examined herself in the mirror. Her clothing reflected who she was, what she wanted in life, and what she intended on doing to get it.

She wondered what jeans and a purple shirt really meant about her, though. All that had really gone through her head when she picked it out was, _'hmm, purple is supposed to bring out my eyes. Sounds good to me!'_ and tossed it on in a hurry.

Oh well.

Sarah made her way out of her room and into a wide gray hallway. There were no other doors for her to try, so she simply followed it until she came to a fork, and then took a left. Something about the left fork seemed more inviting than the right. The same occurred at the next turning- the right turn just felt....right. Like it was the way to go.

It was a familiar feeling, this sense of direction. She now remembered that she'd experienced the same force in the Labyrinth, the first time she'd been here. She allowed it to direct her to where she wanted to go- to Jareth.

She heard his voice before she saw him. There was someone with him. The voice sounded familiar, but she could not place it until Jareth called him 'Father.'

'The roses in the hedge maze are blue, this year. For the life of me I can't imagine why. They've been white for years, Father.'

'Do you remember the last time we came to visit? Oh, it must have been ages ago. And the Morrigan got bit by a rose the size of her head!'

Both men laughed.

Sarah stepped around the corner and into the throne room. Both men appeared relaxed, and a few brave goblins had come to listen as they talked. A lone, glossy black chicken pecked for bugs on the floor in front of the dais.

Two sets of eyes trained on her: one, bi-colored, the other, a shocking blue green.

'And this must be the lovely Sarah!'

Jareth's father, Ethur, had the same vibrancy in the present that he had in the memories Sarah had witnessed. He rose from his chair and bowed gracefully, capturing Sarah's hand for a kiss as he went.

'I've heard so little about you, my dear. Jareth never said what a beauty you are!'

Sarah blushed furiously, and Jareth scoffed from his throne.

'I may never have spoken of her to you, but she does know some of your reputation, my Lord Father!'

'That's just my jealous son. The women never did throw themselves at him like they do me!'

A surprised laugh escaped Sarah's lips before she could stop herself, which made both men laugh with her.

'Alas, my dear, while I wish I had time to speak with you in great length, but being Unseelie King means someone is probably trying to steal my throne as we speak.' Ethur said after enjoying the moment. 'Rest assured, Sarah, I'm certain we'll have the opportunity to get to know each other later.' And then, without taking his eyes off of Sarah, said, ' Jareth, stop glaring. I'm leaving, I'm leaving! Don't banish me!'

Ethur disappeared with the same trademark poof and glitter that Sarah had come to associate with the Goblin King.

'I apologize, precious. He's become a bit of a rake in his old age,' Jareth said wryly.

'Ah,' Sarah said.

There was a long, awkward silence as the two stood across from each other, staring.

Finally, Sarah spoke. 'I want to go home.'

She watched emotions chase across his face for a moment, before it shut down into a courtly mask.

'As you wish,' he said, and moved to pull a crystal from the air.

'Wait!' Sarah said, and rapidly closed the distance between them. Jareth froze, his eyes a little too wide, as she gripped his outstretched hand.

'Don't take this as rejection. I know that's what you're thinking. I think.... I think I have feelings for you. But I'm not certain! And I need some time.'

For the briefest second, hope flashed in those mismatched eyes. 'Sarah...'

'I'll call for you...when I've had enough time,' she said, squeezing his hand. He nodded, closing his eyes briefly.

Time froze as they examined each others faces, and then an all-too-familiar blackness settled around Sarah.


	9. Chapter 9

Time passed for Sarah in a blur, after that. Her home was destroyed, along with all of her books and research for her classes, and regretfully, she was forced to withdraw from school. Her Mythologies professor did not begrudge her the loss of the three valuable books that were destroyed, but later expressed regret at lending them to Sarah. At the urging of her parents, she began looking for an apartment closer to home. Her mother had actually insisted that she get a flat in the city, but she had resisted so she could be close to Toby. October flew by, and soon she was in a quaint little apartment not 3 blocks from her childhood home, hanging up posters of Escher's work and staring thoughtfully into her dresser mirror. She played with Toby, helped him with his homework, and prepared for the upcoming holidays with a growing sense of emptiness.

Worms didn't talk to her with funny accents. Strange fire creatures didn't try to pull her head off. People didn't have birds as hats. The fear, the excitement, and the adrenaline that she didn't know she had been missing was gone again.

Sarah understood why Jareth had taken her memories now. This world was pale in comparison to his. The only problem was that this was _her_ world! She belonged here. Her family was here.

Sarah had more people around her than ever in her adult life. Her father and step-mother had forgiven her for her influence over Toby, even insisting that she come stay with him when they went out on their weekly "dates." She became something of a home-town celebrity for living through a tornado in Texas, and people came to talk to her that she hadn't seen in years to hear all about it. And Sarah had finally reconnected with her mom, which she was grateful for. But then why did she feel so alone?

* * *

Jareth, King of the Goblins, had been in a roaring bad mood ever since Sarah had left. War had been declared between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, again, and he was being forced to send troops of goblin foot soldiers to his father's army. He'd learned that the whole war was over the assassination of his sister's husband, which had happened several centuries ago, and yet had only recently come to fruition. Tethur MacCecht, one of Ethur's brothers, was the king of the Seelie Court. It had turned out that dear old brother-in-law had been carrying on an affair with one of the Seelie King's paramours, and an assassination was the only way to resolve it. Jareth found the whole thing to be quite ridiculous. Tethur MacCecht was more like his brother Ethur than either liked to admit. The Labyrinth itself had been in a sulk ever since he had forced the spirit of his mother back into the Heart of the Labyrinth, and showed no signs of willingness to cooperate with him. He'd had 2 runners since then, one of whom almost made it all the way through to the Castle before Jareth realized that the Labyrinth was aiding the boy. He'd reacted with such fury that the child had instantly agreed to take the crystal, and left his little brother to the whims of the Goblin King.

Banba, his stepmother and Queen of the Unseelie, had sent an installation crew to the Castle beyond the Goblin City to provide Jareth with a few amenities that they had discovered and adapted. Things that were previously unheard of in the Labyrinth, like satellite TV and radio, phones, and the internet were available to people who distrusted electricity still. His father had then sent him a laptop and a massive TV, and his sister suggested he try ice cream. She'd said it helped her when she was in a bad mood.

_'Which is constantly,'_ Jareth thought acidly.

In his opinion, his family had no reason to try to tell him how to act. He would be as petulant as he wanted! After all, his family was no better than he. (Not that he didn't appreciate gifts to 'draw him from his funk', as his stepmother had so delicately said.)

Zap, or Zip, or whichever rabbit-like goblin was trembling before him, pulled him out of his daze.

'Yes, well? What is it?'

'Majesty, the chickens are revolting in the courtyard...'

'I'm sorry, did you mean the chickens are molting?' Jareth asked with disbelief.

'No, they're trying to mutiny against ya!' Zip whimpered.

Jareth sighed. Chicken revolution was never a pretty thing, but at least it was a distraction. Maybe, if he dealt with it quickly, he would be done in time for 'Dexter'.

After literally kicking a few chickens into the Bog of Eternal Stench, and tossing a few goblins in some dank, dark oubliettes, Jareth felt distinctly better. Nothing cheered him up like a good bogging.

His mood was quickly altered when he returned to his throne room- which had been recently remodeled to include a large leather couch for his TV watching, and an even larger 'NO GOBLINS ON THE COUCH' sign.

There were now three familiar women seated on the couch. One of them had a bucket of popcorn. Another held the remote to the TV.

'Hail, Goblin King, Son of Ethur MacCuill!' The Morrigan called out. Actually, it was more like, 'Haywl, Gobrin Kung, Shon of Effur Macshull!' Her mouth was full of popcorn. It was quite at odds with her menacing appearance.

'Morrigan. Callieach Beara. Caer Ibonmeth. To what do I owe this pleasure?' Jareth intoned, formally.

'Ach, lad. Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud with us! We've come to see this setup your loving king an' queen gifted ya with.' The Storm Hag cackled. 'Oh look! Days of Our Lives is on!'

'That's not all we came for. Don't change the channel, though. I want to see what happens!' Ibonmeth said delicately. Her pale skin and white hair caused her to stand out from her two companions. She set down the popcorn and rose to greet Jareth, dark eyes serious.

'I have come to you as fast as I can, dear child. I am only just back from the world of the Swans.'

'Yes, I'd forgotten the year. How is your husband?' Jareth asked.

Ibonmeth tilted her head to one side in a singularly birdlike fashion.

'Leading his way into battle with the Seelie. But enough about him, where is the girl? Sarah! We need to see her.'

Jareth winced.

'Well? We must see her, and Ethur said she would be here!' The Morrigan had evidently swallowed the popcorn, and was moving to stand beside her delicate sister. Her dark hair and tattered black robes were in stark contrast to Ibonmeth's silvered silk gown and crown of feathered locks. They were of the same height, and leveled near-identical gazes at the Goblin King.

'She has returned to her home, Aboveground.' Jareth stilled even the Storm Hag with this statement, She had been enjoying some bit of drama from the show on the TV, but turned to look at the Goblin King as if she had not understood what he said.

'She's Above? We must retrieve her! We must bring her back to the fold.' Ibonmeth wailed, swaying.

'What are you talking about, woman? Bring her back into the fold? She's human! Her kind are above!' Jareth snapped.

'Jareth, when I was a swan, I had a dream,' Ibonmeth said, as the Morrigan helped her sit back down on the couch. Jareth himself sat on his throne.

'I had the same dream every night for the 13 nights leading up to the night of my transformation back into this form. It was the dream of a young girl who caught the eye of an Unseelie lord, and wished for his love. He came to her with his love, as she commanded with her wishes, and left her with a child. He was killed not long after, in the second War of the Underground, and so never knew his child. The child was raised as a human, and had a child of her own, who had a child of her own.'

'Aye, that Garret could never keep himself in check, for all that I raised him better!' Cailleach Beara chipped in from her seat on the couch. A goblin was in her lap, playing with a ball of lightning.

'The Second War? That was a century ago or more. We're on to the fourth one now. What are you pushing at?'

'We think that Sarah is the descendant of Garret, who was the last child of Beara.'

'Descendant... how distant? 10 generations? 12?' Jareth asked as he tried to absorb this new knowledge.

'Garret fathered a child on Sarah's great great great great grandmother, when she was but 16 and lived in Ireland.' Ibonmeth declared.

'I cannot contact her, you fools! She said she would contact me, but only when she was ready. By rights I have to wait until she wants to see my cursed face again. And what about her mother, who still lives? And her grandmother? I don't see you rushing off to rescue them from the mortal life!' He had gone from confused to utterly despondent with this news. Sarah had magic running through her veins. They would take her to the Court, make some great fuss over her, and she would see that life with him would be nothing compared to the splendor that was the darkly dangerous throng of the Unseelie Court.

'Ach, Jareth, ya gurt fool. She's the only one who's shown magic! That dreamstorm? The one that nearly ripped open the Gate between the worlds? That was not the work of some wee little dreamer. It was the work of a child coming into her birthright! Shapin' the storms, lad, that's what Sarah's meant to do!' Callieach Beara growled, dumping the goblin from her lap. She rose and stomped over to Jareth, waving a finger menacingly. 'If ya think I want to do this forever, yer an idiot.'

'Beara, calm. Jareth, can you show us where she lives Aboveground?' Ibonmeth said, placing a delicate hand on Cailleach Beara's grizzled shoulder.

Jareth, calm as an owl in the night, brought up a crystal and threw it into the air. He expected it to show Sarah safe in her little house that she had bought in the wilds of Texas. However, the crystal only showed a bare patch of earth, presumably where her house had been.

'The storm... it must have destroyed her home,' he said.

As the crystal descended back to the earth, Jareth's mind was working furiously. Sarah had not called to him, but he could surely find her.

'Show me the girl...' he whispered to the crystal.

* * *

Sarah's ears were itching. Karen had been mothering her for a week solid, but now that she was finally settled into the new apartment, she'd managed to grab a moment to herself. Yet this moment that was meant to be peaceful was ruined by the feeling that someone was....watching her. She glanced around her apartment, searching for crystals or goblins hiding in the shadows, but found none.

'Hello? Is someone there?' she called out. No one answered.

Giving up, Sarah collapsed onto the couch with a sigh. It had been a particularly windy day, for some odd reason, and the fall leaves were blowing all over town. The weather had been strange, she supposed, since she came back from Texas. When one has spent significant time away from home, returning to it makes familiar things distant and strange. She didn't remember so much rain in the fall, either.

What was it Toby had said to her last night?

'_Sarah, why does it always rain when you're sad?'_

Had she been sad, lately? Perhaps. Empty, as well. But that had no bearing on the weather, right?

Petulantly, Sarah decided she wanted it to be sunny and clear outside. Perfect walking weather- cool, a light breeze (in comparison to the wild wind blowing outside her living room window currently), and colder towards the evening. Maybe even snow towards the end of the week! She laughed. As if she had control over the weather!

The lamp next to her flickered for a moment, and then turned off.

'Huh.' She reached over and checked it; it turned right back on. Curiously, she turned on the TV, which also worked, and flipped channels. They all seemed to work just fine. After a moment, she stopped at the weather channel to catch the forecast.

'_Cool, calm and clear for the rest of the week, with chances for snow increasing towards the weekend with the front coming down from Canada.'_

Sarah stared. That was, well, pretty much what she had hoped for.

_Get real, Sarah!_ That's got to be the average weather for this time of year since forever!

Abruptly, she stood up and went to look out the window. In front of her building was a the park that she had gone to visit and play at as a younger girl, and directly within her view was the stone bench that she had begged Jareth to take her home- to the Labyrinth, she amended. The park hadn't really changed over the years.

A lone swan flew in and settled on the pond. It glided across the still surface of the water like a dancer, moving delicately to an unknown song. Something about the swan made Sarah want to go outside, watch it a little closer. Before she could think about it, she grabbed her coat and was out the door.

It wasn't windy anymore, Sarah noticed. Sure, there was a delicate breeze, but nothing nearly as strong as before. She dashed across the street and made it to the park, watching the swan all the while. It slowed as Sarah came to the edge of the pond, and turned its delicate head to look directly at her.

'Hello,' Sarah called out. The swan ducked its head as if bowing.

_Caw!_

Sarah turned around, startled by the sudden noise. A rather large and menacing crow perched on the edge of the bridge over the pond, not 10 feet away from her.

The wind began to blow around her a little harder.

'Well, hello to you too!' she said to the crow. It ducked its head multiple times, and for some reason Sarah felt like it was laughing.

'I didn't bring any seeds or breadcrumbs, guys... I'm sorry!' she apologized, and moved to sit on the bench. For a moment, she just enjoyed the view, the two birds watching her just as steadily as she watched them.

The memories struck her suddenly, like lightning.

'_I'd forgotten how beautiful you were...'_

_'Do you love me?'_

_'He stole your memories to protect you from himself.'_

The voices rang out in her head. Jareth had taken something from both of them, and now she was being offered her dreams again. She recalled, with startling clarity, the kiss they'd shared on this bench. It was many years ago, she knew, but the memory was once again fresh in her mind, like bittersweet chocolate.

'Well, Swan, Crow. Do I love him? Do I love the Labyrinth?' She asked the birds. 'I know that to love one is to love the other, and to embrace a culture I'm unused to. I'm not sure if I could see my family again, but I do know that things are different now. I'm different now. I'm not a child anymore. I think...I think I'll make my decision by the time it snows.'

The swan stared at her, but the crow flapped open its wings.

'That means, by the end of the week.'

The swan nodded.

On the obelisk behind the stone bench, a lone white owl watched.


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry it's taken so long, but life beckons... Enjoy!

* * *

'I'm asking you to abide by her decision when she makes it, Beara, Ibonmeth. If she decides to return to the Labyrinth, you can bombard her then, but if she decides on a human existence, allow her that little comfort!'

The anger of the Storm Hag was not something Jareth bore easily. She sat on his throne, her face like thunderclouds, as Jareth spoke to her.

'You don't allow your children to dictate how they're raised, Jareth. You discipline them and they do as they're told.' Ibonmeth said from her position at Cailleach Beara's flank.

'I agree with the Goblin King, ladies.' the Morrigan interjected.

'If the Harbinger says that she will come Underground, then she will And if she doesn't, then let her live her life the way she wants to,' Jareth growled.

'Does she realize how much havoc you caused when you took her memories? You took a bright little finch and turned her into a mute little sparrow. She might not be interested in the man who magically lobotomized her.' Ibonmeth said.

'I did it for her. I did it for the both of us- I wanted her to have a normal life, and I wanted to forget her! I never wanted to change her.' Jareth said, angrily.

'You changed yourself as well, lad. You never got lost in the palace before; and don't think I didn't see the crystal that you followed to my rooms in the palace,' Beara said.

The silence that met this comment was as cold as ice.

'Ahh, I see you realized it after the fact!'

'It is of no importance. And you couldn't find your way out of a paper bag, Beara,' Jareth snapped.

Cailleach Beara was preparing her retort when Myth, Sarah's dog, trotted into the throne and sat at her feet.

'Wuf,' she huffed in doggie greeting to the strange woman.

'Jareth, you didn't tell me you were pet-sitting! What on earth brought a dog into your care?' The Morrigan said, kneeling down to pet the creature.

'It belongs to Sarah. I have no idea how it got here, and when she left, she neglected to take it back with her.'

The dog rolled over, exposing her belly and obviously expecting more affection from her admirers. 'How sweet!' the women chorused.

_What is it with women and small furry creatures? _Jareth wondered, watching the women fawn over the dog.

Cailleach Beara looked up at the Goblin King, a gleam in her stone-gray eyes. 'Alright, laddie. I will bide my time. But mind yourself: when she makes her decision known to you, you inform me right away!'

Ibonmeth looked surprised. 'What made you change your mind, Cailleach?' she said, tilting her head in a disturbingly bird-like fashion.

'She left a part of herself here. Treasured pets, a belonging, perhaps her heart. Aye, she'll be back, and sooner than you expect.'

'Now, ladies, I believe we're needed to assist with the skirmish with the Seelie soon. As long as we're agreed, I think we must make our exit.' The Morrigan said to her companions. She waved in acknowledgment to Jareth, and then sunk to the ground in a wave of black mist and wind. A raven burst forth from the mist and flew out the window, cawing raucously as it went along.

'I spend half my life being a swan. I feel no need to fly everywhere, as she does. I believe I will join my sister in the traditional manner. Goodbye, Goblin King!' Ibonmeth pulled herself up straighter, and then disappeared, leaving behind a small pile of swan feathers.

'All these birdies and their molting. Ach, well. You know where to find me, Goblin King!' Cailleach Beara said, and was gone with a peal of thunder.

Jareth was suddenly alone, and very tired.

* * *

As predicted, a storm blew in on Saturday that dropped over a foot of snow in just a few hours, and Sarah was forced to huddle on her couch with coffee and blankets. She'd spent the day turning in her resume to various places online, in hopes of finding a permanent job. The house that had been in Texas had an insurance policy, so when it was destroyed by the storm she'd received a pretty little check- but it was mostly gone now, spent on replacing her belongings and finding a new apartment. The house had been a graduation gift from her mother, but she didn't really regret the loss. It had been small, and modest, and perhaps not in the best neighborhood, but a house was a rather ostentatious gift, even from her mother. She couldn't just say no, and so she had been left with the only option: to accept it, graciously, and be thankful she didn't have to pay for her own housing.

Sarah's mind drifted aimlessly, from the home she had left, destroyed, to her mother, to her little brother, to the strange dreams she'd had last night. It seemed that strange dreams were par for the course since she'd gotten her memories back. Usually they were dreams of Jareth- long, frustrating dreams with witty repartee and veiled innuendos that were slowly driving her mad. Occasionally there was a dream of flight, through clouds and rain and wind, with the voice of a cantankerous old woman in the background. Last night, however, was a dream of a mighty battle. The two massive armies had met on a field of vibrant green, one armored in silver and white, the other in black and red. The white army had been full of tall, ethereal Fey, with flowing hair and eyes like lightning. The red army had Fey amongst the ranks, but also held more fearsome creatures. It seemed to Sarah that there had been a contingent of goblins, several of which she could have sworn she had seen in the Labyrinth before. The most disturbing part of the red army was rock-callers, in her opinion. Ludo and several creatures like him stood in the back, surrounded by armored men on winged horses. She had always been certain that Ludo was a gentle creature, but she did recall the havoc he had caused to the Goblin City. She was not surprised to see Sir Didymus alongside Ludo.

Sarah's dream self floated amongst the ranks of the red army, without purpose or direction, and gradually found herself near the rear, surrounded by tall horses with wings and even taller men and women. She recognized a few faces from the memories she had shared with Jareth- the birdlike woman, Ibonmeth, and Jareth's father, Ethur, were both in attendance.

Ethur was totally different from the few moments she had spoken with him. Gone was the mildly flirtatious attitude and the air of relaxation. In its place was a fierce aura of strength and determination, accompanied by a look of sheer stubbornness. He held a helm of black lacquered metal with a sharp gold crown over the visor. Sarah could not clearly hear their conversations, and so only caught bits and pieces.

_'...an affront to our kingdom...'_

_' Clearly the last straw!'_

_'...spurned our offers of goodwill...'_

_'No true heir to the throne...'_

A huge raven descended from the sky, leaving a trail of black mist behind it. The raven landed on the extended arm of Ethur, who called for silence. The lords and ladies that surrounded the King gathered close, watching the bird expectantly.

'Well, Morrigan? What news have you?' Ethur finally asked.

The bird opened its mouth, and let forth a mighty caw. Then, it began to speak in a terrifying voice, feminine but with an undercurrent of rage and strength.

'The Seelie King refuses to surrender. He offered you the same option, but knew you would not accept. He says he hopes to send you to the arms of your maker, where the fool of a son-in-law you chose now rests.'

A howl of rage echoed from behind the King. Sarah could not see the person, but the lone voice soon became many voices, raised in anger.

Ethur, however, remained silent and still, eyes locked on the massive raven on his arm.

'Aeden may have been a fool, Majesty, but this is no reason to start a war. Tethur means to kill you, and wipe the Unseelie off of the map.' The raven said, hoarsely.

'Aye. Do you have any great prophecy for me, Harbinger?' Ethur looked at the bird closely as he spoke.

'Sire, I have none.'

'Riaghan, bring me the iron broadsword,' Ethur said after a moment. His squire disappeared into the crowd around the king, hurrying to get the weapon.

With a mighty flap of its wings, the raven shot up into the sky. Sarah was so enthralled by the bird that she almost missed the next words to be spoken by the King.

'If I fall today, I only have one son to pass the crown to. I trust that he will make a good leader, and that you will all follow him as faithfully as you have followed me. I name Jareth, Goblin King and Keeper of the Gate, my heir from this day forth.'

Sarah blinked, and then King Ethur sounded the charge. She was soon pulled up in a tide of magic, following the King and his supporters as they moved to the fight. All was chaos, and for a while Sarah floated above the masses. She was soon joined by a woman that she had seen previously: the gray hag that had warned young Jareth in his memories.

'Well, Granddaughter, how are you enjoying the show?' the hag asked her, as they floated above the battle.

'Will he die?' Sarah asked, motioning to the King.

'He wouldn't have named Jareth as heir if he felt he would live, lass.'

'He can't die! It wouldn't be...fair...' Sarah broke off, realizing how futile it was.

'The Morrigan made no promises either way, child. That is why I brought you here... to watch your future be decided.'

Sarah opened her mouth to respond, but her words were drowned out by a horrible, guttural cry in a language that she had never heard before. The raven that had been circling above them dove down, changing form into a woman made of dark mist and lightning. Sarah and the hag were right behind her, their dream selves sucked in with the pull of the raven-woman's magic.

Ethur was on his knees, a hand over his side. A man stood over him, silver armor glinting in the sun, a large black sword in his hand. His face was twisted with rage, but perhaps there was a resemblance between the two, Sarah had thought.

'As it should be, brother. You, on your knees, before me!' The silver man said.

Ethur's silver-green skin was blanched, and his piercing eyes stood out from his face as he gasped for air.

'_No!' _Sarah wailed, reaching out as if to help the fallen King. As she did, a bolt of lightning cracked the sky in two, landing squarely on the man who had brought Ethur low.

Sarah did not remember what happened in her dream after that, because she had woken up immediately. Her apartment had smelled like ozone.

As Sarah thought about the events of her dreams, she realized she had made her decision. If she cared so much about what happened to Jareth's father, obviously she was emotionally attached to Jareth. The other details would have to be sorted out later.

'I need to go back to the Labyrinth.'

* * *

Zip was hiding in the Firey forest. The King had kicked him out of the castle, as well as many other goblins, and he had no other place to stay. This didn't really bother Zip- as long as his ears were intact, he was comfortable sleeping wherever. The only problem he had was the Fireys kept trying to remove his head. So Zip was forced to hide from them in strange, small places- like the hollow tree that had been knocked over and used for a seat by goblins and fireys. He was huddled inside the tree, contemplating taking a nap when he heard a loud *thunk* and a string of words he had never heard before.

'...Oh sure, they warn you, watch what you wish for, Sarah, but no one ever says watch what you simply say out loud in your own home. Christ on a cracker! Is this the forest with the... oh, _no!'_

Zip watched a pair of feet come into view. He recognized those feet!

'Lady?' Zip poked his head out of the tree.

The Lady jumped, but then saw who it was. 'Hi, little guy! Boy, you sure scared me...'

'Lady, you need help?' Zip asked, and then began to squirm his way out of his hiding spot.

'Oh, no. I think I can find my way to the center...' The Lady trailed off.

As she spoke the forest had rearranged itself from a foggy, dark mess that seemed impossible to traverse, to a slightly less threatening (and far brighter) forest with a clear path down the middle. The path led to a part of the maze Zip recalled with some cheer- the garden maze.

Beyond the garden maze, they could see the walls rearranging themselves in neat rows, until there was a direct path to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City.

Zip watched the Lady in amazement.

'Did you do that?' he asked.

'I suppose so,' she responded. 'Are you coming with?'


	11. Chapter 11

Be still my heart... 2 updates! Enjoy!

* * *

The summons had hit the Goblin King like a ton of bricks. He had been sitting in his office, trying to finish off some correspondence from his contact in the Unseelie Court, when it had nailed him in between the eyes. It was a desperate summons, sent by someone unpracticed, and with a trace of ozone to it. Beneath the aching headache he suddenly developed, it all felt very familiar- and yet, he could not say why. All he could do was drop everything and go to the source.

The source of the summons was gone, predictably, but he made it to the origin- the center of the battle between the Seelie and Unseelie, where his father and his uncle had determined to fight it out like good (or bad) kings.

The battle had recently ended, with the Unseelie barely edging out a victory. There were wounded fey and even a few dead warriors lying on the ground, but Jareth did not really look at them. There were two still forms, laying at the center of a burnt patch of earth in a vaguely circular shape. The smell of ozone was stronger than ever.

'Goblin King! Oh, Jareth, we were about to send for you. The healers had to come first, though, you understand... if we can save him, we must try!' A knight, his name forgotten, babbled at Jareth's side.

Jareth moved to stand in the circle of dead earth. So far, no one had even set foot inside it, for reasons he could not fathom. It became immediately clear that his uncle was dead- his face was smoking and burnt.

'Lightning magic? Is Cailleach here?' Jareth asked.

'Your highness, she remains at the Undercastle at the command of your father.'

'Does anyone know anyone else with this particular form of magic?'

Silence.

'Fine. Where are the bloody healers? Get me Cailleach, the Queen, and Morrigan.' Jareth narrowed his eyes at the helpless crowd. 'Well? What are you waiting for? Go!'

The crowd scattered quickly, and Jareth knelt at his father's side. He removed the battered helmet, set it aside, and put a hand to his father's face.

'Jareth...' Ethur's voice was barely audible.

'Father?'

'So glad... you... came... made you... heir...'

'You're going to live, Father. Banba is on the way, and the best healers we can find.'

'Jareth... marry that ... girl...'

'I intend to, Father, Have no doubts.'

'Move aside, Highness, I've come with a bevy of healers to see to the king!' a piping female voice announced, and Jareth looked up to see he was surrounded by men and women dressed in flowing white and gray. They all knelt around the king, and a subtle upwelling of power began.

The Unseelie King was in good hands, now.

'Where is the King's squire?' Jareth asked. A young man stepped forward, his skin blanched.

'Riaghan? I had no idea you had applied for knighthood...' Jareth said, quite amazed. He had courted Riaghan's mother after she had been widowed in the last great conflict between the courts. He was thankful that nothing had come of it, however. Still, Riaghan was young enough to be his son, and old enough to know better than to play Squire to the Unseelie King.

'Your Highness, you called?' Riaghan bowed stiffly. He was obviously distressed.

'Yes... Tell me what happened, and spare no detail.'

* * *

Sarah was shocked at the changes to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. A flat screen TV? Satellite? A leather couch?

'I didn't even know technology worked in the Labyrinth... For some reason, I'd imagined that magic made technology pointless.' Sarah said, mostly to herself. She was unwilling to go further than the throne room to find Jareth, because she had a sense that he was not in the castle at the moment. With a sigh, she sat on the plump leather couch and looked around.

Zip sat at her feet.

'Well, I guess we could see what's on TV...' Sarah grabbed the remote and pointed it at the TV.

'Hmmm.' There was a list of favorites, and digital recordings. _What sort of show does the Goblin King like?_ she wondered.

Some of the shows she found surprising. Dexter, a show about a serial killer with a heart, was not something she could see the King watching. Nip/Tuck seemed right up his ally- beautiful, intelligent, cocky men making money off of other people's problems. How It's Made was another show she didn't expect, however it seemed logical for him to be curious about how things worked in the Aboveground.

Soon, she was absorbed in the TV, and a crowd of goblins had gathered at her feet.

* * *

'Your Highness, Jareth, a messenger from the Seelie Court has arrived.' a courtier said from behind the Goblin King.

'Oh, really? Here to bargain for the body of their king, I suppose,' Jareth replied. The body in question had not been touched. It was still smoking slightly, and all the healers that had attended to Ethur had regarded it with a mixture of confusion and disdain.

'Send six of the strongest knights to escort the messenger to me. We'll be at the King's pavilion, and I need anyone who is not injured to be with me. I want to put forward a... threatening front. Leave a dozen or so of the nastier foot soldiers to keep guard over their beloved king.'

Jareth led the way to the now empty pavilion, the King having long since been transported home for the healers to continue their work in peace. The pavilion had been to allow some shade for the leaders of the Unseelie while their lowly troops maneuvered into place, and done the bulk of the fighting, in an archaic way that Jareth found disgusting. It struck him that, amusingly enough, the Fey were progressing quite nicely in terms of accepting human technology in the underground, and yet they were still standing massive armies across from one another and shouting 'Charge!'

A table was summoned from somewhere, and Jareth arranged himself to lounge on the largest chair in a rather indolent manner. As the confirmed heir, he would be the one the Seelie would have to bargain with. That is, unless Banba had something to say.

On cue, the Queen appeared right behind him.

'The king is resting at the palace, Jareth,' Banba murmured to him. 'He said to me that he is grateful for your timely arrival, and then bade me to stand by you in negotiations for the body of his brother.'

_Well, then._

A footman cleared his throat quietly. 'Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Seelie messenger is approaching.'

Indeed, the Seelie had sent their strongest negotiator as messenger. Etain the Younger, niece to the King of the Seelie and Queen of a lesser court in her own right, strode up to the assembly of lords and royalty of the Unseelie court with a look of steely determination. Her delicate blue eyes were wide in her pale yellow face, and her sunflower-yellow hair flowed around her in a wind that no one else felt. She was known as a child of the Spring, as her coloring declared.

Callieach chose this moment to join them, announcing her presence with a roll of thunder and a cackle. Jareth looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, and the old hag merely laughed harder.

'Lady Etain the Younger, Your Majesty, here to present a message from the Seelie court.' a crier announced. The guard of six noblemen separated, allowing her to step through.

'My titles are much lengthier than your crier declared, Queen Banba. If you recall, I became Queen of the Mayfly court recently, and I am Niece to the Ard-Ri, the Seelie High King Tethur. Is this how your court treats all of its royal visitors?' Etain said with a huff of arrogance.

Silence settled over the gathering, broken occasionally by the caw of the Morrigan, flying high above them.

'Perhaps you may have heard, Princess Etain? That Jareth, King of the Goblins and _son_ of our Ard-Ri, High King Ethur, is the heir now.' Banba said lightly, but her purpose was not missed. Etain's attention focused on solely on Jareth.

'Ah, I had not. My deepest respect to the heir, King Jareth. And at long last, too!' Etain swept into a deep curtsy.

'I thank you.' Jareth said, and then nodded for her to have a seat. She did, but was at quite the disadvantage to Jareth. His much larger chair was a throne compared to the stool she perched on.

'Goblin King, I come to beg for the release of my Uncle's body. My mother, my aunt and my royal cousin, the heir to the Seelie throne, are quite distressed at the news and long for the closure of seeing him one last time before we release his spirit to Danu.' Etain said immediately. Her blue eyes teared up prettily, and she dashed at her eyes as if to stop the tears.

'Etain, I think you forget. Your mother is my aunt, too. Tethur was my uncle. Perhaps we should wish to mourn over him properly, as he so deserved.' Jareth said with just a hint of malice in his tone.

'I do not forget our mutual familial alliance, and I am sure you regret as I do the need for violence. However, your own mourning cannot be as great as his wife and child's! Surely you can see that, Jareth!' Etain cried out. She was obviously distressed. Jareth, however, was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

'I grant you that, Etain. But you must see that we are fully intending to hold his body as the spoils of the battlefield. You cannot just ask us for this boon, and give us nothing in return.' Jareth's voice became harsh. He could feel her power rising up- she was using glamor to make herself look more appealing. But to what aim?

'Goblin King, I have come to offer something in return for the body of our fallen king, and the hope that there can be peace between our two courts. This constant warfare has drained both Seelie and Unseelie, and my royal cousin has directed me to bring you this treaty for your perusal.' With a gesture, a parchment scroll fell from the air, tied with a blue ribbon.

Jareth stilled. Banba leaned down to her stepson and whispered in his ear, 'They mean to offer us a marriage.' Jareth nodded in understanding, but said nothing in response.

'Has your cousin already been crowned, Etain, that he is offering a treaty to us already?' Jareth asked Etain.

She blushed. 'No, but the Queen has already passed the power along to him. She cannot bear to rule without her King.'

'It sounds more like she was dying to be free of the lout!' Cailleach cackled from behind them, and a murmur of laughter went through the group.

'Riaghan, hand me that treaty?' Jareth pointed to the offending object, as if it were a very smelly sock. The squire passed it over, and Jareth made a great show of carefully unrolling it.

'I, Caden, son of Tethur, do blah blah blah... in order to foster peace between the courts... blah blah... offer my royal cousin Etain the Younger, Princess of the Seelie and Queen of the Mayfly court in marriage to Jareth, Goblin King and now heir to the Unseelie throne?'

Etain merely smiled graciously.

For a moment, waves of sheer fury rolled through Jareth. He lost his iron grip on his magic, but found he didn't care.

How _dare _they conspire to put a Seelie puppet on the Unseelie throne? How dare they assume that he would take the most spoiled, selfish, arrogant, glamor-ridden creature of the lot?

'The stink of glamor is all over this lass. Someone ought to bind her magic.' Callieach barked out. The harsh voice cut through his rage, and suddenly he understood he had more important things to think about.

'No. Give her the body, and get her out of here. Our official reply will come when we've consulted with our King, who is thankfully still alive.' _Not for lack of trying on the Seelie court's part, _he managed to refrain from adding.

Etain's perfect smile slipped into an 'o' of surprise. She was obviously not expecting this response. The contingent of lords hustled her up and off to the body of her uncle, and she was out of Jareth's sight.

'Get control of yourself, Goblin King.' Banba said, squeezing his shoulder.

Belatedly, Jareth realized he'd been leaking fear magic like Etain had leaked glamor. He was amazed that some of the weaker courtiers and knights around him hadn't collapsed in fear. And then Lord Gareth, Jareth's third cousin, keeled over. Callieach laughed, and Jareth reeled in his power.

* * *

Jareth did not bother to go to his father's bedside- Banba had said that he would be inaccessible for at least a week. Instead, after the bare minimum of niceties to the court, he had left the fray and appeared directly in his own throne room.

'Filthy, idiot, bog-ridden, pus-covered _ingrates!_' he bellowed, scattering the goblins that had settled in on his couch and in front of the TV. He maneuvered himself behind the couch and began to pace in the distance between it and his actual throne.

He was struck with a sudden dislike of everything in his throne room. A few goblins felt the end of his boot, and he calmed down a bit. He bogged a goblin or two, and then flung himself into his throne. The room was now a goblin-free zone.

'Trying to make a puppet out of me... I cannot believe I ever wanted to be the heir to anyone's throne...' Jareth continued mumbling.

An answering mumble came from the direction of the couch, which was faced away from him and towards the TV. It was a rather sleepy mumble.

A dark head popped up, hair mussed and green eyes cloudy with sleep.

'Jareth?'

'Sarah?'


	12. Chapter 12

Toby put the phone back in the cradle with a disgruntled sigh that only a child could manage. 'Sarah won't answer the phone again, Mom.'

'Well, Toby, some adults just like their privacy. And it _is_ snowing**. M**aybe she's out shoveling the walk or something**,**' Karen answered.

'Yeah, but she hasn't answered the phone in like, two days! She can't always be gone, and there's like, a bajillion feet of snow out there.'

A familiar thrill of worry struck Karen. While it was not unusual for Sarah to screen her calls, she always returned Toby's messages.

'Hmmm. Maybe we could bundle up and stop by. I bet she wouldn't mind us barging in if we brought fresh baked cookies!' Karen said with a smile. She didn't want Toby to catch on that his mother was worried, after all.

* * *

'...I don't understand how I got here, myself. I just said, out loud, _I need to go back to the Labyrinth_, and BOOM! I was in the Firey forest.'

Jareth scowled. 'I see.'

'Don't scowl at me, Goblin King. I just wanted to come back for a test visit. I'd had this crazy dream, all about fighting and ravens, and your father was in it...**.**' Sarah said, trailing off as she saw the look on Jareth's face. 'What? Did I do something?'

'You dreamt about the battle. What happened in your dream, precious?'

'Well, there was a bunch of people, and I saw a talking raven, and your father was there, and then he was going to die, and I tried to stop it, and then I woke up.' The words poured out of Sarah in a rush.

Jareth abruptly turned around and strode out of the throne room. Sarah stared, bewildered, as he walked away.

'Jareth? Where are you going?'

'I need to make an important...call, if you will.'

'This has something to do with my dream, doesn't it?' Sarah said, getting up to follow him.

'Yes, yes it does.' Jareth said, walking even faster. Sarah ran to keep up with him down the twisting corridors, until finally they came to a great wooden door.

_'Oscail_, door. Let your king in,' he murmured.

_Hello, Your Majesty, _a mighty voice boomed.

Sarah jumped. 'A talking door? Really?'

'Yes. Why aren't you opening for me, door?'

_I'm only supposed to open for the King._

'Even so, I am the king. So tell me, why are you remaining shut before the King of the Goblins?'

_You have a pretty little halfling with you. She is not the King. I cannot open for the King and a pretty lady._

'I apparently have an idiot for a door spell,' Jareth sighed. 'Sarah, would you step to one side for a moment? I promise I will hold the door for you.'

Sarah looked at the door, and then again at the tall blonde man at her side. 'O-kay, Goblin King...**.**' She delicately stepped out from in front of the door, presumably from the line of sight of...a door. She held back a laugh.

_The pretty halfling is gone, King. Would you like me to open now?_

'Yes, before I blast you off your hinges. Blithering idiot of a spell...' Jareth pushed his way in, and held the door open. As Sarah stepped in, she could hear the door grumbling.

_The King cheated, and brought in the pretty lady anyway._

'That's because I am the King, door, and you are not. Now, shut, and don't let anyone else in, unless they have the Key.'

The door said nothing.

'Why would you have a door spell that is...less than intelligent?' Sarah asked, looking back at the door. Jareth motioned for her to sit in a velvet covered wingback chair that was placed at an angle to the large wooden desk that dominated the room.

'That's because I did that spell when I was still very young. I went for strength over finesse, and as a result it is as strong, and as dumb, as an ox,' he said as he sat down. 'Be quiet a moment, precious. I need to contact an old friend.'

Sarah watched Jareth idly, relaxing in the dark comfort of what was obviously the office of the Goblin King. A small part of her mind screamed at her for being so at ease in the company of what was once her eternal enemy, but she couldn't help herself. She felt more at home now than ever. Still, a discomforting notion chased across her train of thoughts—what had the door meant, when it had said '_pretty halfling'_? She had assumed from Jareth's demeanor that it had meant her, but how was she a halfling? What was a halfling, for that matter?

Unfortunately, that train of thought screeched to a halt, running over the ideas tied to the tracks of her mind, as Jareth pulled a crystal from the air. She watched him with an intense concentration that suprised even her. The air suddenly felt thick, difficult to breathe, and full of exotic spices. He threw the crystal high in the air, and Sarah tensed. Surely it would shatter against the ceiling, she thought. But no crash came, no rain of delicate glass. The pressure in the air lessened, and the scent changed slightly. There seemed to be a hint of ozone, like when she had dreamed about helping Ethur.

A vision appeared in the space above the great wooden desk. It was the head and shoulders of an old, crag-faced woman. It was the hag of her dream, and the memories she had shared with Jareth.

'Ach, Jareth. You nearly ruined a winter storm I was brewing. What ails you, that you call so rudely?' **s**he **asked**, her voice echoing inside Sarah's memory.

'I have a guest that you may want to see**,**' Jareth said, and motioned to Sarah. The hag craned her head around, and finally turned her whole body.

'Hello, Granddaughter,' the hag said.

'Hello, Grandmother,' Sarah said, before she could even think about the words.

* * *

Karen had knocked politely, at first. When that produced no results, she knocked hard enough to rattle snow off of the eaves. To her left, Toby peeked into a window that she assumed led into Sarah's living room.

'The lights are all out, Mom, but it looks like there's something on the couch,' he said as he came back.

'I see. Did she ever tell you where she kept the spare key?' she asked.

'Sure! Under the 13th brick from the left on the front step.' He leaned down and grabbed the brick with both of his small hands. The brick moved easily, and a house key was hiding in the dirt underneath it. Karen reached down to grab it, delicately flicking a worm out of the way as she grabbed the key.

Although the dirt made the lock stick, they got the door open after just a moment. The lights were off, just as Toby had said, but Sarah's cell phone lay on the coffee table, next to her purse and a book. A candle was lit on the mantle. There was a nest of blankets on the couch, and a cold cup of coffee rested on the side table.

No sign of Sarah.

Karen checked the bedroom. Empty. The bathroom was empty as well. The kitchen had been a bust, but there was a chicken breast marinating in something in the fridge, and a grocery list on the counter.

'Toby, did she say she was going to meet anyone the last time you had talked to her?' Karen called out to her son in the other room.

'Nah. But look at this! I found a crystal!' Toby bounded into the kitchen, holding the object with both hands.

Karen took it from her son's outstretched hand, and looked into it.

'Huh... it's funny. It's almost as if...you turn it just right...you can see things in it.'

'Well, yeah, Mom. Crystals show you your dreams!'

* * *

'I was right, then. You showed her the battle. I thought as much, Beara**,**' Jareth said, steepling his fingers beneath his chin.

'I have the right to show my children what they need to know**,**' Cailleach answered primly. It was an attitude that she did not display often, Jareth mused.

'So, wait, what? You really are my grandmother? I thought that...I dunno...you just called me that because you were old, and that's how you talked to young people!' Sarah was obviously confused.

'Listen to the pup! Me, old! I'm as old as the mountains of Ireland, girl-child! I created the first snowstorm to blanket the hills, formed the hills and crests of **Eire** from the lint and crumbs in my pockets, long before your father's people were even thought of!' Cailleach Beara crowed.

'My...My father's people? What does that mean?' Sarah asked, looking first at the image of the old woman, and then at Jareth.

'It means, Sarah, we will be expecting guests soon. And many of them will be your family.' Jareth sighed, angrily. 'Or am I wrong, old woman?'

'Nay. You've got the right of it. Once it comes out that Garret's long lost bastard has arrived underground, you'll be having guests.'

'Garret? My father's name is Robert!' Sarah narrowed her eyes at the woman.

'Your many-times grandfather was my oldest son, Garret Stormbrewer. Worthless, womanizing nobody who got himself killed the first chance he got.'

'So...you're like my ancient ancestor?'

'Yes. And you're the only one of the lot of your relatives that has shown any gumption or tendency towards the art since poor Alice, Garret's daughter, lay on her deathbed and brought the floods to her village.'

'The art? What art?'

'Storm-shaping, lass! Surely you didn't think that the lightning fell on Tethur for spite!'

Jareth narrowed his eyes and looked at Beara. 'She did that? It smacked of your specialty, Cailleach.'

'I haven't had the strength to call lightning in force, while dreaming, my lad. Not in years. I'm getting old and tired.'

'So the storms outside my house...in Texas. The tornado. What about all that?' Sarah asked.

'Unfortunately, an untrained storm-shaper can destroy much more than a little house. You're lucky you didn't blow the city off the map, and the Labyrinth with it, girl. A dreamstorm with the force of a shaper behind it is a frightening thing to consider.'

'I could have... destroyed... the Labyrinth?' Sarah said, heavily. 'I had no idea. I still don't know what was going on.'

Beara eyed Sarah, concern evident in the lines of her face. 'Jareth, I'll be at the Castle Beyond the goblin heap soon. I'll try to make it soon, but I've been appointed minister to the queen while she handles matters of state. And there is still the matter of the treaty with the Seelie...**.**'

'To _hell_ with the treaty, old woman! I'll be happy if I never see a Seelie sidhe for the rest of my life!' Jareth burst out.

'Lad, which is more important: your happiness or the peace offered?' Beara quipped.

'I am tired of having my happiness sacrificed for the greater good. If you're done rubbing my nose in the treaty like a naughty pup, I have things I need to attend to**,**' Jareth said, forcefully, and moved to wipe the image of their visitor away. The crystal reappeared as the image faded away, and fell to the floor. It shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces, and the pressure in the room finally lessened.

Sarah sat quietly for a moment, trying to digest all she'd heard. The information about herself was too much to handle right now, so she focused her mind on the last thing the old woman had said. 'What did you mean, "sacrifice your happiness," Jareth? Did I miss something?'

'I can't talk about it, right now. I'm not sure I want to talk about it ever.' Abruptly, he stood. 'As I recall, you have a fondness for my rose gardens. Shall we take a walk, Sarah?'


	13. Chapter 13

Zip was watching the Boy Who Was Saved very carefully. He had been drawn by the call of the crystal in the Lady's house, but had not found the King or the Lady. Instead he found the Boy and his mother, standing transfixed as they stared into a small object in the mother's hand.

Was that...a crystal? It was! It was the crystal the King had tried to spy on the Lady with! Naughty King, but even naughtier Boy—he didn't know that crystals could trap, like a fly in a spider's web. The Boy and his mother could be trapped forever, or until the King decided to look in on them again.

Zip made a quick decision and dashed out from under the dresser, where he had hidden himself. He slammed his whole body into the legs of the Boy's mother, knocking her slightly off balance and knocking the crystal from her hand. It shattered on the floor, but Zip didn't stop to look. He made another quick dash for the portal that he knew lay in the hall closet. Closets were a natural portal from this world into the next, and there was almost always one in every home. Portals and closets went together like bread and jam.

Zip had only had jam once, but he remembered it fondly.

'Hey! What was that?' The Boy called after Zip. He followed him down the hallway, his mother close behind him.

Zip jumped, headfirst, into the portal, and found himself standing in a rather peculiar fountain in the Goblin City.

Half a second later, the Boy crashed down on top of him.

* * *

Sarah had meekly accepted Jareth's offer. She was rather stunned by this change of attitude from him. She knew him so well in her dreams as the snarky, villainous bad guy that stole her brother, so to see this range of emotions in him was unexpected, to say the least. She'd done hours of soul-searching after the revelation of her returned memories, and had fully realized that her heart, and perhaps her very soul, were invested in this wild place of carnivorous roses and dangerous magic. One thing she had not truly thought about was what it meant to return. The offer of affection, adoration**,** and perhaps a deep and lasting love that Sarah had never known before was a heady one, but she was concerned because she still did not truly know the Goblin King and had only glimpsed a little piece of Jareth.

'These roses were planted over the period of-'

'Jareth, what's your favorite color?' She asked, interrupting him mid-word.

'I... I don't believe I've ever decided upon a single favorite color.' Jareth looked at her strangely for a moment, and then looked away.

'I can understand that, I suppose. I've always loved greens...maybe because my eyes are green. And I've always had a fondness for blue...blue roses are the most delicate, fragile and amazing things I've ever really thought about.' She started rambling, because she suddenly felt as if she had offended him somehow.

'I see. Blue roses...these were white for centuries, until recently.' He reached out and stroked a rose with one finger. They were nearly the size of cabbages in this part of the garden.

'Is that my fault?' Sarah asked.

'Perhaps.'

Silence reigned for a minute.

'I always loved the rain, too. It's just so peaceful... except for thunderstorms. I developed a rather paralyzing fear of them a few years back.'

A wicked grin crossed Jareth's face. 'I can't imagine why.'

'Some evil Goblin King broke into my house and kidnapped my baby brother in the middle of a storm. It terrified me for years to come**,**' **s**he said, playfully.

'Excuse me, I did not kidnap. I took what was freely offered!' he scoffed. '_Oh Goblin King, take this child of mine far away from me! I'm so tired of diapers and dishes and bedtime stories!_' Jareth mimicked her, throwing a dramatic arm over his foredead as if he meant to faint.

'Oh, come on now! Freely offered, my foot. I was a teenager, and hardly able to understand what it was I was doing, or what I was offered in return**,**' Sarah said, becoming a little irritated. Perhaps if Jareth's imitation of her petulance weren't so good, it wouldn't have stung so much. She let go of his arm and took a few steps ahead and into a rectangular clearing. There was a rather massive willow tree in the center, with a small stone bench underneath its drooping branches. She thought about ducking under the branches and sitting down, but decided against it.

'I think you knew what would happen, precious**,**' Jareth said, sweeping her up into a slow waltz around the tree. 'You wanted your scary, dangerous, alluring Prince to take you away from your hurts, your sorrows. But when you got a King, instead of a Prince, you-'

'I wasn't concerned about the title, _your majesty_,**'** **Sarah interrupted him, '**but the emotions that I'd never really felt before then. And the loss of my baby brother.' The desire to scowl up at him warred with the sudden and absolute delight that she felt at his touch. Seemingly from nowhere, music began to play. It was a delicate piece that Sarah had never heard before, on instruments that she could not name.

Jareth was quiet for a moment. 'You are quite light on your feet, my dear.'

'Thank you. I took ballroom dancing lessons throughout high school.'

'I'm given to believe that ballroom dancing is not a common choice of after school activities.' Jareth smiled, cocking his head to one side.

'No. I also learned French, and acted in a few plays, and studied music. I was considered...artistic.'

'And a recluse, too, I presume.'

'After a fashion. I ended up being better educated than most anyone I hung out with, just because I put my best work in my studies. I read more. And I always had a trail of goblins, so who needed real friends?'

'Ah, yes. My little vagrants took a liking to you. I actually found it quite **i**nfuriating that they directly disobeyed me and followed you around for so long, especially after I bogged half of them!'

'So that was why my first apartment always smelled like the bog...' Sarah grinned wickedly.

'Sarah, there is not one person in this kingdom who does not adore you**,**' Jareth said, seemingly changing the subject, and then swept her back into a dip. Sarah laughed, delighted, and he echoed her.

'You're a much better dance partner than many of the people I took lessons with. I had sore toes for years.'

'Sarah, precious, I will tell you one of my favorite colors now. If you want, that is**,**' Jareth said, as the music came to a flourishing end. He did not relinquish his hold on her, but his face turned serious. Sarah nodded, nervously. She felt that this admission was important, for some reason.

'I do have a favorite, you know. I've just never admitted it. I have always adored the forest green of your eyes.'

* * *

'Oh, gross!**'** Toby howled as he sat up in the fountain. His clothes were drenched, and his hands and knees stung from falling. 'Where are we...? Mom?'

He looked around, but him mom was conspicuously absent.

'Oh no! Bad Boy!' a piping voice came from behind him. Toby turned around and faced the strangest looking creature he had ever seen. It had nut brown skin and a flat, triangular nose with a large set of furry brown ears that came from the top of his head and touched his shoulders, much like a floppy-eared rabbit. It had huge brown eyes and a wide mouth with three yellow teeth visible. It was shorter than the boy.

'Hello. Are you...are you a goblin?' Toby asked, scrunching up his face and trying to remember the last time he had seen such a crazy looking thing. It seemed like he had heard his sister talking about these creatures in bedtime stories a long, long time ago.

'I am ZIP!' the awkward little creature declared, obviously offended. Toby decided that this meant they were introducing themselves.

'Hi, Zip. I'm Toby.'

'Zip knows who you are. I have to take you to the King, I think. He knows what to do with childrens in the Labyrinth!' Zip reached out with a tiny, three-fingered hand and seized Toby's wrist. He then proceeded to drag Toby out of the fountain and towards the Castle, all the while screaming at the top of his lungs: 'KING! ZIP FOUND THE BOY! KIIIINNNNGGGG!'

A huge crowd of goblin on-lookers began to follow them. Some of the other creatures were quite big and scary, and so Toby kept close to Zip. For some reason, the idea of going to see the King of these funny little goblins was a reassuring one.

'HEY! HEY BOY!' Someone shouted from the crowd. Toby turned, trying to find out who it was who had shouted even as Zip dragged him to the King. (The little goblin was very strong!)

'Uhh...what?'

'You remind us of the babe!' A little dwarf-looking woman yelled gleefully.

'What babe?' Toby said back, some distant memory prompting him on.

'The babe with the power!' a huge goblin in a tiny felt hat chimed in.

'What power?'

'Voodoo!' the whole crowd shouted back, and Toby could see the Castle rising up in front of him.

'Who do?' Zip asked, still dragging him on.

'Do what?' Toby was now very confused.

'Remind us of the babe!' The crowd cheered wildly, waving as they were left behind at the castle.

'O..kay...' Toby said.

Zip dragged him through one set of doors, past a huge TV and a strange horned throne, past several more doors and into an archway.

'KING! KIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG WHERE AREEE YOUUUUU!' Zip continued to shout. The goblin and the boy entered into what looked like a garden maze, except the roses that made up the walls of the maze were huge, with nasty looking thorns and glossy green leaves.

'KINNNGGGG-' Zip continued to shout, until he spotted the King and the Lady standing beside the Kissing Willow (named by goblins). He then doubled his speed, dragging Toby behind him at a run.

'Zip, this had better be good!' Jareth roared, turning around. 'I am_ very_ busy and unless you are in the mood for a Bog bath... Oh. Hello, Toby.'

'Toby?' Sarah said from behind Jareth. She rushed past the Goblin King and up to her little brother, concern evident on her face.

'Toby, what on earth are you doing here? Karen will flip! How did you get here? Why are you wet?'

'Sarah, this is the place you told me stories about, isn't it?' Toby asked, brushing aside all of his sister's questions.

'Yes, Toby, it is. And I need to know how you got here!' she demanded.

Jareth motioned to the goblin that had dragged Toby to his king.

'Alright, Zip. Explain,' he commanded. Internally, he was delighted to see the child again, but was also concerned as to how he made it to the Goblin City.

'King, Zip is very sorry. Boy was staring into a crystal at the Lady's house, and I just wanted to help! I broke da spell and ran back to the City**,** but Boy followed me.'

'Hmm. He followed you through one of the usual portals?'

'A closet.' Zip nodded, and gripped his ears nervously.

'Don't let it happen again, Zip.' Jareth casually kicked Zip aside. Zip was secretly expecting to be bogged, and so was happy with this slight punishment. The King was not even wearing kicking boots today!

'Jareth, what am I supposed to do? He's supposed to be at home with my family!' Sarah said, turning to the Goblin King.

'Time moves differently in the Labyrinth, Sarah. I can slow time so he will not be missed for long. I had already planned on doing that for you, anyway.'

Sarah blinked. 'Why, Jareth? I came back for good.'

Jareth looked surprised for a moment, but said nothing.

'You silly, self-conscious, arrogant twit of a man!' Sarah said, suddenly quite frustrated. 'You still think I'll turn tail and leave...again!'

'I'm unsure as to how I can be self-conscious and arrogant at the same time, Sarah**,**' Jareth said, deliberately skirting the main subject.

'You ask me to stay, and then you still expect me to leave! As if... as if you... as if this place weren't... As if all of this were meaningless!'

'Oh, gross, Sarah. Is he your boyfriend?' Toby commented, displaying the disgust of youth.

'Butt out, twerp.' Sarah glared at Toby, and then at Jareth.

'I can send him home now, if you want,' Jareth said. He looked rather sheepish under the force of Sarah's regard.

'No, I want to stay with Sarah!' Toby crossed his arms and huffed.

'Toby-kins, you need to be with Karen and Dad. I promise I will call you as soon as I can**,**' Sarah said.

'NO! I want to stay! It's different here! People know who I am!'

Sarah looked confused. 'I don't understand, Toby. What do you mean?'

'I dunno, Sarah. It's like, when that rabbit-goblin was bringing me here, everyone was calling me the Boy, and waving like they remembered me.'

She closed her eyes in frustration. 'Toby... I don't know why you want to stay. But you _**can't**_**.**'

Jareth discreetly looked up to the sky above them. Storm clouds were beginning to form, and the temperature had dropped a few degrees since Toby had arrived. 'Sarah...**.**'

'Why can't I stay, Sarah? You get to stay! Maybe you're just running away! Maybe you want to leave me because you don't love me any more!' Toby's voice rose to a hysterical yell that only 10 year olds can produce.

Sarah winced, and dropped to her knees in front of her little brother. 'Don't say that! Of course I love you, and Karen, and Dad**.** I get to stay here because I'm an adult, and I understand the consequences of my actions. If you stay here with me, you might never get to see any of your school friends again, or your pet turtle, or any number of people you love**.**'

A fat raindrop fell from the sky, followed by another, and another. 'Sarah,' Jareth said. 'You need to control yourself.'

'Why, Jareth? What am I supposed to do? I sort of got here suddenly, without time to prepare. I had thought that I would get to say goodbye to them...and now look at this!' She said. The rain began to fall steadily, and soon all three of them were soaked.

'Sarah, listen to me. You will get to see them again. It is not the end of the world. Before you can handle it yourself, I can bring you to visit your family every thirteen days. Once you learn to control your emotions and gain mastery of what Cailleach Beara will teach you, you will have more contact with the world Above than almost anyone else in the Underground.'

'Hey Mr. Goblin King,' Toby said, interrupting him. 'If Sarah can come visit me, can I come visit her?'

'Yes, Toby,' Jareth answered. 'I can see to that.'

'Ok. Cool. You can send me home. I'll tell Mom you went to visit your boyfriend, Sarah.'

Sarah was stunned by her little brother's absolute acceptance of the situation. The storm that had threatened to erupt eased off, and the pressure of Sarah's emotions lessened. 'I think Karen would love that idea. If I had left a note...maybe...**.**'

Jareth waved his hand, and a crystal appeared. With one swift motion, he threw it down on the ground, and then reached down to pick up the notepad that Sarah had sworn was on her computer desk when she left.

'Neat! Was that magic?' Toby asked.

'Of a sort.'

'Cool.'

'Oh, ok. I can write a note...**.**' Sarah hurriedly scribbled on the notepad. Jareth leaned over her shoulder and read what she was writing with a growing smirk.

'Really, Sarah, an emergency in Texas? Going to visit your friend Jareth?'

'Well, I can't just put, _BRB LEARNING MAGIC LOL _or _VISITING PSYCHOPATHIC KING OF TIGHT PANTS BBS_ now can I?'

'...What?' Jareth said. 'What does BRB mean?'

'Never mind.' Sarah said. Behind her, Toby snickered.

'And I hardly think I'm a psychopath. Surely you would have seen that by now.'

'But you have to admit you have -' Sarah started to snap, but then realized what she was about to say.

'Tight pants? Well, I'm glad you noticed.' Jareth finished for her, a wicked little smirk on his face.

Sarah's face turned a lovely shade of maroon. 'Never mind. Toby, the Goblin King is going to send you back, and you have to tell Mom you found this note, ok?'

'First promise I can come visit you! And you'll come visit me!' Toby crossed his arms defiantly.

'Yes, Toby. She will come visit, and you can come visit us here**,**' Jareth answered for her.

'Ok. Send me back, Mr. Goblin King.' Toby closed his eyes and scrunched up his face, and Jareth dropped a crystal above him. Right before it would have bonked the boy on the head, it shattered into little pieces of glitter, which turned into a cloud of fairy dust, and then Toby was gone.

'Wow...that was...glittery.' Sarah commented, grinning.

'I prefer the term, _classy_.' Jareth said.

'Yeah, classy as a drag queen.'

'What on earth is that?'

Sarah just laughed.

* * *

Toby burst from the closet and raced back into the living room, colliding with his mother's knees.

'Toby, where did you run off to?' Karen asked.

'I found a note in the hallway, Mom! It's from Sarah!' Toby replied, waving the paper around frantically. Karen snatched it out of his hands and read it aloud.

_Karen-_

_Sorry I couldn't call, had to head back to Texas for a bit of an emergency. My friend Jareth has my cat and dog, but he's sick so I will be with him for a week or so longer than I thought. I'll call you as soon as I can!_

_Sarah_

Karen visibly relaxed. 'Oh. Well, then. Silly little thing couldn't call, but she left a note.'

'Yeah. I think Jareth is her boooooyyyyfrriieennnd**,** too.' Toby grinned, stretching the word out.

'Toby, she should have boyfriends at her age. It's a perfectly natural thing!'

* * *

'So, Jareth. Was I correct in assuming you still had my pets?' Sarah asked as she watched the clouds clear up outside the castle.

'I cannot possibly imagine why you would want to keep that monster of a cat. It's taken up residence in my kitchen, and your dog has become a sort of mascot to my army.'

'Oh, no! Please tell me they're not riding Myth around like a horse!' Sarah laughed, picturing Sir Didymus and his noble mount.

'No, they haven't gotten that far.' Jareth gently directed Sarah to the doorway of his throne room, where the dog was waiting for them. 'And here is your little dog now!'

Myth bounded across the room and jumped up on Sarah, barking with sheer joy. Her tail was wagging so hard she looked like she was a helicopter about to take off. Sarah knelt down to give her dog a hug, and Myth proceeded to wash her face thoroughly with sloppy doggy kisses.

Jareth watched the whole scene with a mingled sense of disgust and jealousy. Dog slobber was not his favorite thing, it was true, but perhaps he could brave some once in a while if it meant so much to Sarah.

'In the mean time, I have taught your dog a trick!' Jareth pulled a crystal out of the air, and with a flick of his wrist turned it into a small rubber ball. Myth turned to Jareth, practically knocking Sarah over, and pranced about.

'Good girl! See the ball? See the ball?' Jareth waved the ball in the dog's face, talking in a ridiculously high-pitched voice. Sarah fought back a grin.

Myth sat, waiting for Jareth to throw it. He pretended to, at first, but Myth regarded him scornfully. Finally, he did throw it, full force, out the front window of the castle and listened for it to hit the ground. Myth took off running, jaw dropped in a doggie grin.

'Is the trick that she will bring back the ball? Because she knew how to do that already**,**' Sarah said.

'I know, but I ...changed the game**,**' Jareth said, enigmatically. 'The ball hides now.'

'...What?'

'The ball will go and dig itself into the ground. Watch, she will return triumphantly!'

'You're tricking my dog! I can't believe you!' Sarah said, getting up. She went to go sit on the couch in front of the massive TV, but before she did, Myth came bounding back in. The ball was clutched in her jaws, covered in tree sap and leaves.

'Oh, in the orchard this time? Excellent work!' Jareth patted the dog gently on the head, and Myth dropped the ball. It promptly turned into a doggie treat.

'That's…amazing.' Sarah said.

'Yes, well, one has to find something to do in this place.'

'So what has Marian been up to? Terrorizing the locals? Eating mice?' Sarah asked, amused.

'Avoiding everything and breaking into the food stores.'

'Sounds like her,' Sarah said. She knelt down next to Myth again, scratching her behind her ears. For a moment, neither Sarah nor Jareth talked.

'Sarah, I wonder if you would like to have dinner with me? A private affair?' Jareth asked after the silence stretched out.

'Of course. You realize I don't have anything fancy to wear, though,' Sarah smiled nervously.

'We can send for your wardrobe later in the evening, if you'd like. In the mean time…tell me what you want to have for dinner, and it can be arranged.'

Sarah grinned. 'Surprise me.'

* * *

Zip hated being the King's messenger.

First, he had to take a message to the palace steward, who was a dwarf and not at all friendly, to set up the Lily Pavilion for a private meal for the King and the Lady. The steward had kicked Zip, and then ran off, shouting orders to his underlings.

Second, he had to take a message to the head of the house staff to make up the Lady's room again. The head of the house staff was a lady who had been wished away many, many years ago, and took the message kindly and offered Zip a sweet in return, which made Zip cry. No one was ever nice to him!

The third stop on his list was the worst. The kitchens were feared by goblin, dwarf, Kings and people alike. The cook was a fearsome old half-dwarf woman named Bess that had been in that office as long as anyone, Goblin King included, could remember. She was wrinkled, gray, and loud.

'What do ye need, Zip?' she bellowed from behind a mountain of dirty pewter plates. Zip timidly took a step into the kitchen and held out the note. Bess stomped over to him and snatched the paper from his outstretched hand.

'The Goblin King requests that a small dinner be arranged at the Lily Pavilion. The menu should include...' Bess read. As she got to the menu, her eyes began to bug out of their wrinkles.

'Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Roast turkey? Curried rice? What is that boy planning on doing at this 'small dinner,' giving himself the fire-burps?' she hollered.

'Ergh... I think the Lady will be there...' Zip said, and then cowered behind a particularly large pot.

'Ah! Now that I ken handle. A nice romantic dinner of Underground food...' Bess began to pace, bellowing to herself.

In the back of the room, there was a rumble, and a cauldron was knocked over. A great, tabby-furred, feline monster stalked out from behind the overturned dish.

'Ahh, that's Mommy's little kitty cat! Izzou up from you'z nap, hmmm Ms. Kitty? Hmmm, do you want a fishie?' Bess cooed to the cat as it twined around her massive ankles.

The cat sat down on its haunches in front of Zip, and stared him in the eyes. They were about eye-height to each other, which meant that this was a very big cat and Zip was a very small goblin.

'Uh...good kitty?' Zip whimpered.

The cat blinked, and looked up to Bess.

'You don't think that Underground food is a good idea, cat?' Bess shouted to the feline. 'How about a few native treats, then?'

The cat blinked again, and started purring.

'Alright, then, cat. I think we better clean this kitchen up!'

With that, the cat stood up and approached Zip menacingly.

Zip got the message and ran out of the kitchen.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the long delay- I got married, and got a dog, and now we're moving into a real house. You guys know how real life is. Anyway, long chapter, plus maybe another one tonight, as a reward for your patience!

I don't own anything related to the Labyrinth, except for the idea of the Lily Pavilion.

* * *

Sarah paced in front of the mirror. The thick carpets muffled her footsteps but echoed in her nervous heartbeat. She had been focusing all afternoon on not throwing random tantrums and causing a freak storm, or blotchy skin and blemishes.

It had only rained twice, and the wind had settled down not long after. She was not as successful with the blotchy skin. Red patches had appeared on her cheeks, neck, and back. Finally, she settled in front of the dressing table with a sigh. When she had been shown to the room that she had stayed in before, her clothes and personal things had already made it into the closets and dresser. While checking to make sure everything was there, she discovered a few dresses that hidden in the very back of the closet Sarah had never seen before. One of them caught her fancy— it was midnight blue and looked as if it would be knee length on her tall frame. She had thought about wearing that to this 'private affair' that the Goblin King... _Jareth, his name is Jareth..._ had invited her to.

But first, the blotches. She started with a long, hot bath in her private bathroom. The soap and shampoo were all peach scented; a small detail that made Sarah smirk. It did not keep her from using them, and soon she emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of peach-scented steam. The bath had just about done the trick. The blotches were fading rapidly.

But when she walked out into her new bedroom, she was suddenly faced with a new problem.

_Should I wear the lacy black underthings... or the plain old normal stuff? Do I need to dress like I expect to be seen underneath my clothes? _

Sarah owned one set of what could be called 'lingerie', a sheer, black, lacy affair that she had never actually worn for its intended purpose. The rest of her underwear drawer was full of white cotton and cartoon characters. She had almost decided to go with her normal underclothes, until she looked at the neckline of the dress she had picked out. The neckline was low, almost shockingly so, and even though there was sheer black fabric to add a hint of mystery, a white cotton bra would not do the trick in that situation. Sighing, she slid the lingerie on, exulting in the softness of the material against her skin. Her inner-most self crowed in anticipation. She _wanted_ to be seen in the daring ensemble. The dress went on over it, and she stood in front of the mirror again. The paleness of her skin glowed in contrast to the dark blue of her dress. She added her grandmother's diamond earrings and the heirloom locket she had gotten from her mother as a birthday gift, and looked again.

'My hair is evil.' Sarah said to her reflection. It had dried in crazy curls and waves, half curly and half straight. She sat down at the dresser and began brushing it with a vengeance. Once she had it settled, she had begun on her makeup, only to jump back as a crystal appeared on her desk in a shower of glitter. It quickly turned into a note on a piece of what looked like parchment paper.

"_When you're ready, touch me,_" it read. Sarah snorted. Trust that man to make an invitation to dinner a double entendre.

She checked, and double checked, her outfit and her hair. Everything was in place. She sighed, steeled herself, and touched the paper.

* * *

Jareth had been pacing for the last...oh, four hours? He'd attempted to take care of some of the correspondences sitting on his desk, but since most of it had to do with his father, and that blasted treaty, and since a large portion were from people whom he had never cared for, he made himself stop. It was either blast it all into a million pieces, or find something to distract him. He'd gone and looked in on the cook, but she'd quickly kicked him out of the kitchen. Bess had taken over what looked like half of the standing goblin army to help clean the kitchen proper, and the smell of something delicious wafted out of the giant oven.

'Oy! You! Out of my kitchen, King!' The cook had hollered the second she'd seen him. While Jareth didn't normally tolerate such blatant disrespect from his subjects, a good cook was difficult to come by in his backwater kingdom. He retreated immediately to the safety of his office, where pacing was the only way to pass the time.

Thoughts chased each other around his head like goblins chasing chickens, or that blasted cat chasing goblins. What should he wear? What was she going to wear? What on earth was he thinking, having a private dinner with her when things could go so wrong? What if she struck him with lightning on accident? What if she hated the food? What if...

The tiny clock tower on his mantelpiece chimed out the hour. Was it really that late? He pulled a crystal from the air, meaning to go to Sarah to escort her to dinner, but then changed his mind. With a swift twist of his hand, he changed the purpose of the crystal, and gently sent it to her room. He juggled a handful of crystals in his other hand, and sent them floating to their destinations: to the cook, his own personal wardrobe, the Lily Pavilion, and then finally, saved the last for himself.

Jareth looked into the final crystal that he cradled in his hand. A slight tilt to the left, and he could see his dreams—a tiny pair of figures, dancing through a crowd. He smiled, almost bitterly, and threw the crystal down to the ground. As it shattered, he was gone.

* * *

Sarah blinked. She wasn't really sure where she was**. **This was a part of the Labyrinth she'd never visited. She stood on gray flagstones, in the middle of a path down to a feat of architecture no human could reproduce. The pavilion of white marble shaped into a giant Easter lily. Its curved petals offered protection from the weather, and the delicate stem met the stone path and formed the supports. She could see a small, unoccupied table set for two waiting under the pavilion with candles atop it burning delicately in the waning light. Her feet sounded out on the flagstones as she made her way to the table. The beauty of the table, the whole pavilion, and the little lake that lay to the left of it all, squeezed her heart with some powerful emotion Sarah could not name. She glided past the table, tracing her fingers over the satiny tablecloth, and stood at the edge of the marble overlooking the water. Giant water lilies dotted the surface of the lake, wider than she was tall.

'Amazing...' Sarah sighed, drinking in the sight with her eyes.

'The water lilies showed up one day after a gardener ran the Labyrinth,' a voice behind her said.

Sarah turned, blushing. 'I didn't hear you arrive, Jareth.'

The Goblin King stood within arm's reach, resplendent in a dove gray jacket over a white shirt and darker gray pants. 'Silence is golden,' he said. 'It afforded me a few seconds to compare two beautiful things at once.'

'The water and the pavilion?' she asked, tilting her head to one side.

'The lilies and you, Precious.'

Sarah grinned, blushing harder. 'Shall I compose a sonnet for your masculine beauty, then, Goblin King?' she quipped, obviously embarrassed. 'I assume it's required if we're to properly trade compliments.'

'I much prefer haikus. They are short, sweet and to the point**,**' Jareth said, and motioned back to the table. Sometime in between her walking past it and Jareth's arrival, it had been covered in food. Silver domed platters covered the table almost entirely, and an enticing aroma began to capture Sarah's attention.

'Is that roast beef I smell?' Sarah asked. Jareth held out her chair, ever the gentleman, and smiled enigmatically.

'To be honest, precious, I'm not entirely sure what we're going to be enjoying tonight,' he said as Sarah sat down. 'My cook can be rather temperamental.'

'You have a cook? And here I thought you just magicked up anything you wanted to eat,' she said. Jareth grinned, and slid into his own chair.

'I could magic up anything I wanted to eat, if I wanted to be hungry again when the spell wore off.'

'Sounds like Chinese food...' Sarah smiled. 'Shall we see what magic the cantankerous chef came up with?'

'Of course!'

Simultaneously, they lifted the lids from the silver domed platters in front of them. Sarah's plate was filled with delicious looking bits of her past: shish-ka-bobs that reminded her of her high school graduation party when her dad made the most delicious shish-ka-bobs she could recall, and roasted broccoli like Karen made when it was in season. There was a bit of couscous, a food her mother had introduced her to at a tiny little restaurant in New York, and garlic knots that she and her friends had learned to make one night in college.

'Jareth, your cook is a magician!'

'I'll certainly agree with you on that one. She hasn't made venison for me in... oh, ages!' he said, without looking up.

'Venison?' Sarah asked.

'Yes, and sweet potatoes! You can't even find those in the Underground any more.'

'We have different meals, Jareth**,**' Sarah said, for some reason amazed.

'We do. It's one of the reasons I employ this particular cook—she knows instinctively, somehow, exactly what you want.'

'That...is amazing.'

Jareth smiled. 'I picked out some wine from my personal stores... I hope you don't mind drinking something that is older than you are.'

'I've never been one for wine, but I'll give it my best shot!' Sarah laughed, watching Jareth pour the wine with curiosity. She picked up the delicate glass and sniffed. 'It smells good!'

'Don't sound so surprised, Sarah**,**' Jareth said, and raised the glass. 'To you, Precious.'

Sarah mimicked the motion. 'To you, Jareth.'

* * *

'...and the whole thing blew up in her face. She looked surprised for a good century after that- her eyebrows never did sit right afterward,' Jareth laughed. The meal had been eaten and enjoyed in short order, and Sarah had picked out the dessert (no peaches) that they were currently enjoying. Jareth was telling her about some cousin or niece or other distant relative of his, and how she had blown up some delicate piece of magic, as Sarah chased the last curl of chocolate cheesecake across her plate.

'Good lord, Jareth. That was delicious!'

Jareth smiled at Sarah. 'Of course it was! More wine?'

'Sure! How old is this stuff, anyway?' she asked, picking up her newly-refilled glass.

'A hundred years, give or take a year or so? I'm not certain.' he responded. 'My father gave it to me after some party or another. He makes his own wines.'

Sarah blinked. 'A hundred years? That's amazing! I've read about brandy found in the ocean, hundreds of years after being lost... but I've never had any. I was more of a shots kind of girl. I earned the nickname "Whiskey Sarah" in college.'

'I've a selection of liquors and wines known far and wide through the Underground. We can try some, if you want.' The innocence in Jareth's voice was not enough to cover the challenge in his eyes or the smirk on his face.

'Are you asking for a beat-down, Goblin King? Liquor was my major, my freshman year of college.'

'My dear, I hardly think that one year of boozing allows you to challenge me. I am, after all, much older than you.'

'Bring. It. On,' Sarah said emphatically.

Jareth grinned, a flash of feral whiteness, and cleared the table of its contents with a wave of his hand. Another wave brought a bottle full of an amber liquid and two delicate crystal glasses.

'Whiskey it is, then!' Sarah said as she popped open the bottle and smelled its contents.

'I'm glad you approve. You can have the honor of first pour.'

Sarah grinned at the man across from her as she poured shots for each of them. 'Bottoms up, your majesty!'

* * *

One shot quickly turned into ten. Ten shots turned into another bottle. The moon rose, and the stars came out. Sarah would have been amazed at the beauty of the Labyrinth at night, had she not been so drunk.

'Jareth. Jareth! Another shot?' She slurred, giggling.

'I will not allow you to think me under the table,' Jareth said, seriously. 'Or drink me under the table. You know, whichever.'

'Goblin King, are you drunk?'

'Perhaps. Are you?'

'Of course!'

'Good.'

Sarah, for some unknown reason, found this entire exchange to be hilarious, and burst into fits of giggles. Her giggling inspired Jareth to join her. They both laughed for several minutes.

'Wait! What are we laughing about?' Sarah asked, face red.

'I'm not sure. I think we should stop drinking, though,' Jareth responded, eying the mostly empty bottle between them.

'Oh, can't we finish this bottle off? I promise I'm not going to get sick!'

'Did they also call you "Iron-Stomach" in college?' he asked her, pouring another shot.

'No, I earned that name in high school,' she snorted.

'Last call, Sarah.'

'Cheers!' Sarah said, knocking back the shot. She reached out and grabbed the bottle from Jareth's grip and took a long pull. When the bottle was empty, she set it down with a thunk. 'I win.'

'I concede! You win, Precious.' Jareth laughed, having finished his last shot as well.

'Cool. Do I get to pick my prize?'

'Certainly!'

'Take me dancing. The way you said you would... in that song. Between the stars…' Sarah said, entirely serious. She stood, wobbled just a little, and reached for Jareth's hand.

'Precious, you've had a lot to drink. Do you really think dancing is a good idea?' Jareth said as he stood up.

Sarah tilted forward, losing her balance. She braced herself against Jareth, and then swiftly wrapped her arms around his neck. 'No, I think it's a _perfect_ idea!'

'Your wish is my command, then. Hold on tight!' He wrapped his arms around her waist and lead her to the edge of the marble platform closest to the water.

With the tiniest bit of concentration, they began to float over the water and upwards. Sarah shrieked, startled, but then began to laugh. She leaned in closer to him, holding on as if he were the only thing left in the world.

'Pick a song, Jareth! Let's dance!' She said, grinning wildly. She was torn between watching the ground fall away and watching Jareth's face as they spun.

From nowhere, a slow tune began to play. It was something familiar to her, half-remembered, drifting up from the bottom of her soul, yet she couldn't put a name to it. The tune was lazy and slow, like lovers who had all of time together. There was no rush. The instruments were easily recognized: trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar and bass. Blues. For some reason, the song flooded her veins with a warmth that was entirely different from the heat of the alcohol.

Somewhere in the back of Sarah's brain, the tiniest fragment of sobriety was running commentary on the whole situation. It had just occurred to her, for example, how close they really were—nose to nose, practically. And she had never noticed how delicious he had smelled before now. Idly, she brushed some of his hair away from his eyes.

The warmth in her veins turned to fire when she looked, really _looked_ him in the eyes. The tiny sober part of her mind shut up with its endless commentary and simply started cheering her on as she pressed her lips gently to his.

Jareth took this as a signal and cupped her face with his hands, deepening the kiss with an intensity that surprised both of them. Her heart pounded and the fire in her veins roared as she dug her fingers into his hair for a better grip. For a moment, the world fell away and there was only the two of them. Nothing else mattered but this breathless moment.

After a moment, Jareth pulled back. 'Sarah, stop, wait,' he said, as she kissed down his neck. 'I can't concentrate on you and the… spell...' He paused, stunned, as she grazed his neck with her teeth playfully.

With a curse, he buried his head in her hair. They began to fall, slowly at first, but picked up speed as he lost control of the spell in its totality. Sarah didn't appear to notice, and had brought her attention to his mouth again, looking up at him with those infernal eyes, kissing her way up from his chin to his lips.

Neither one of them saw the water coming, although later decided they should have known better. They hit the Lily Lake with a loud splash, startling the local wildlife and chasing the fire (and also the liquor) right out of their veins.

'Faugh! Sarah, where are you?' Jareth said, gasping for air.

'What the hell, Jareth? Why did we fall?' she called, just behind him.

'I tried to tell you! I couldn't concentrate on you and the spell at the same time... You were demanding more of my attention than I could afford to give.'

'I'd be flattered, Goblin King, but you see, I'm all wet,' Sarah snapped.

Jareth raised a soggy eyebrow in reply. Sarah flushed scarlet as she realized what he meant.

'No, not- UGH! Just... never mind.' She paddled over to the edge of the pavilion and crawled up and on to it, rather indelicately. Jareth was close behind her, offering extra support as she needed it.

'I'm sorry, Precious. I didn't mean to dunk you in the lake.'

'I know. It's fine, it's my fault.' Sarah grabbed a corner of her dress, now totally ruined, and began to wring it out. 'Magic me up some towels, buster.'

Grinning, Jareth reached into air and came back with four rather large and fluffy towels. Sarah seized one and began drying herself off. The dress she had worn began to fray with the water.

'Is this silk?' she asked.

'I have no idea. I assumed it was yours?' Jareth responded.

'No... I just found it in the closet,' Sarah said as she attempted to keep it from falling apart.

'When was this?'

'I dunno, a couple of hours before ... oh, no!' The dress ripped, frayed a bit more, and then crumbled to pieces.

Jareth burst out laughing. 'Magic, Sarah. The most basic of fairy tales- Cinderella's dress faded at the final stroke of midnight!'

Sarah was now too concerned to defend herself, and conversely very glad and very embarrassed that she had worn her special undergarments. They were lovely, they were meant to be seen, but they were also very sheer. She rushed to cover herself up with one of the towels.

'Red and black are both very beautiful colors on you, Precious,' Jareth commented, attempting to sound innocent.

'I'm not wearing red,' she snapped.

'You have the most delicious tendency to blush all over, rather than just your face.' He reached up and traced a finger down her bare shoulder, smiling as she shivered. He leaned down and gently kissed the same spot softly. The warmth flooded back into Sarah's veins with a vengeance, and she saw an answering fire in Jareth's eyes as he looked up at her.

'Let's get you out of these wet things, Jareth,' she whispered, 'and into something a little...warmer.'

* * *

A/N: Muahahahaha


	15. Chapter 15

I don't own anything related to the Labyrinth. The Ambassadors are figures pulled from Celtic mythology, with my own twists added.

* * *

Something was tickling Sarah's nose. It was soft, and fuzzy, and most likely a piece of her own hair. She didn't really care, though, because she was comfortable, and warm. She curled into a ball, brushing the bit of annoying fluff away from her nose, and tried to dive back into that dream she'd been having. It had been about Jareth, and a night of dining and fun... and...

Sarah opened her eyes.

This was not her room. She blinked, thinking maybe she was still dreaming. But when she opened her eyes, the dark red and gold curtains, rather than the dusty gold and cream ones in her own room, did not change, nor did the huge four-poster bed hung with green and silver, unlike the peach silk on her own bed. Clearly, then, this was not a dream. It also occurred to her that Jareth had rather eclectic tastes in decorating. She'd been otherwise occupied the first time she'd seen it, so she sat up and looked around. There was an ancient Egyptian statue of Isis, and wall-hanging of a unicorn hunt that looked to be from the middle ages, and framed scenes from the Kama Sutra. She didn't see Jareth hidden anywhere amongst the piles of wealth and possessions, so she rolled to the edge of the bed. Rather than a nightstand or table, there was a huge and heavy wooden chair, upholstered with threadbare purple velvet. Laying in the chair was a white satin robe and a roll of creamy parchment. The air was chilly against her bare skin, so she seized upon the robe, shrugging into it as she unrolled the scroll.

_Sarah, _

_Unfortunately, some rather important guests showed up very early this morning, and I did not wish to disturb you. If you like, there will be breakfast delivered to your own room (because I know you will probably seek sanctuary, a hot shower, and fresh clothes) after you wake up. I will probably be in talks most of the day, so don't be surprised if you see me only a little. _

_I enjoyed our time together last night very much. I hope there will be more nights like that in the future._

'Oh, ha-ha. Jareth Rex. Someone knows his Latin,' Sarah sighed under her breath. She hid her hurt that he was not there when she woke up under her joy at his final sentence- more nights like that...

Sarah blinked again, and a blush mantled her cheeks quickly. Thoughts of last night danced in her head, and for just a moment, she sat and considered the other things she so wanted to do with Jareth.

She shook her head to clear it and stood, still clutching the scroll. She knew instinctively that Jareth's rooms took up an entire wing of the castle, and she could feel a tiny pull to her left. Her own personal belongings were in that general direction, Sarah realized with a start.

After securing her robe, Sarah bravely opened the door that she assumed lead out of the King's chambers. She peeked out, checking to see if the hallway was occupied. Comforted by the fact that there wasn't a soul in sight, she stepped out and reached for the mental tug of her personal belongings. Left, still. She started following the trail, wondering at this new development. If she could find her belongings this way, was this why she had won the Labyrinth? What else could she find?

She made a choice at a fork in the hallway (the right fork smelled like the kitchens were down there) and continued on, looking around with curiosity. After passing doorway after doorway, she found herself in a hall lined with familiar paintings, and near her own room. Sarah pushed the door open with a sigh of relief. She wasn't afraid of anything in the castle, but she was looking forward to being clean and eating. Her room, while not the comfort-zone that she had achieved at her little house in Texas, was already starting to look more like Home to her. She flung herself onto her bed.

There was a loud, feminine shriek.

Sarah rolled over, looking around, and came face to face with a tiny, yellow-skinned woman with coal black hair. Sarah shrieked back at the woman, who fell to the floor in the most humble bow that Sarah had ever seen.

'Please, mum, don't mind me! I'm just here to clean the rooms, and I didn't know you'd be back so soon!' The woman said hurriedly.

'Oh! Oh, god no! No, it's fine. Stand up, please!' Sarah said after a moment. The little yellow woman was about three feet tall with delicate, insect-like wings dropping from her shoulder blades, was dressed in what could have been a maid's uniform. She stood up, but did not meet Sarah's eyes.

'I hope it's not rude of me to inquire, but what..._are_ you?' Sarah asked.

'Oh, no mum, it's fine! My mother was a pixie, and my father was a Seelie lord. They don't care none for halflings there, you see, so my mother and I, we went to the Unseelie court for sanctuary.'

'I see. I've only recently found out myself that I have ancestors who aren't human. I'm Sarah, by the way.' Sarah stuck out her hand, but the little maid just looked at it.

'I'm Jane, Lady. And I know who you are. My mistress, Queen of the Unseelie Court, sent a contingent servants to the Goblin King to prepare him for his visitors, and she told me all about you.'

'I'm no Lady!' Sarah laughed.

'Begging your pardon, mum, but if your grandmother is Cailleach Beara, then you have more royal blood in your veins than some of the princesses of the Seelie court.'

'Ah... I guess.' Sarah sighed. 'Anyway, don't mind me, I just wanted a shower and some food. Since Jareth was busy, I figured I'd explore the Labyrinth today, or something.'

'As you wish, Lady Sarah.' Jane smiled, and bobbed a curtsey. She immediately began straightening Sarah's things, like the piles and piles of books that had gone unnoticed by their owner.

Sarah stood, grabbed a towel off of the pile of clean linens beside her bed, and went to take a shower.

Breakfast had come and gone. Sarah had napped a bit, suddenly and inexplicably tired. She dreamt about silly nonsense things, like flying horses and catfish that looked like house cats. When she finally woke up, she felt completely refreshed in ways she'd never felt before. So it was with this in mind that she decided to find Jareth, if only to see if he could point out the library to her. She wandered down the halls, not really paying attention to where she was going, until she found herself before the great wooden door to the King's Study.

_Hello, pretty halfling, _the mighty door boomed.

'Hello, door. Please keep your voice down!' Sarah smiled at it.

_Sorry. I still can't let you in unless you have the key, you know, _the door said. It was slightly quieter.

'I know, door. Is the King in the room behind you?'

_Yes, with very important people. He's very __angry__._

'Oh, I see,' Sarah said thoughtfully. 'Well, I wouldn't want to bother him. Would you know if there is a library in this massive heap of a castle?'

_In between the King's rooms and the rooms for a Queen, there is a library. You need the key to get in there, too._

'I see. Where can I get a key?' Sarah asked. She immediately regretted doing so, as her vision was burned out by golden fire. It faded quickly, leaving nothing but a small ache and a sense of frustration. Her vision remained intact, however.

_The King told me I could give it to you, if you asked. I can open for you, now, if you'd like, but he's still very upset._

'No, no. Just let him know where I've gone, if he should ask,' Sarah murmured. Nodding, she turned towards the general direction of the library, and felt a strange force pointing her to take a door she would have never thought about before. Of course, behind the door she found a shortcut- a long gallery of portraits of members of Jareth's family, (or at least, she assumed they were his family. They all had that same haughty look to them, and the bi-colored eyes were common. His father was included.)

At the end of this gallery was a massive, 10-foot square painting of the Labyrinth. It was surrounded by a gilded frame. Sarah walked up to it, eyes wide. She reached out and delicately touched the spot in the garden maze where she had met the Wise Man. A sudden idea occurred to her- if she could see the entirety of the Labyrinth, perhaps she could cause the weather to change in specific areas. Still, she was unsure as to what exactly she could do, and since she was no longer an impulsive fifteen-year-old brat, she resigned herself to wait until someone had gotten around to showing her a thing or two. She didn't want to cause any more havoc than she already had.

The painting swung open like a door, and Sarah looked out into a hallway she had walked down on her way to the study. A large set of double doors dominated the wall opposite her. Sarah was certain they had not been there before.

Smiling, Sarah stepped up to the doors. She half-expected the same mighty, booming voice to greet her, and was shocked by what she did hear.

_Hello, Sarah. _

It was her own voice.

* * *

Jareth had been awoken at some forsaken hour by a messenger from the Queen, and had been quite reluctant to remove himself from the bed that he had shared with Sarah. He'd whispered some apologies to her, smiling when she only mumbled and buried herself deeper under the blankets. Something made him want to just ignore the rest of the world, the messenger, his kingdom, everything, and crawl back under those blankets, wrap his arms around her, and find the most delicious way possible to stir her to wakefulness- but no. Duty called, and at the moment it called with the strident voice of a pixie messenger sent straight from his father's wife.

Of course, the second Jareth heard the pixie's message, his pleasant mood went out the window. Word of the treaty had gotten out to the rest of the Unseelie court, and she was sending a bevy of servants to attend to the incoming guests, and since he did not have more than half a dozen non-goblin servants in the castle, it was a necessity. The second message got to him as the first of the servants arrived, and his mood turned even more sour. Seelie representatives were descending upon his Labyrinth as well, and soon he would have a full, if mixed, court in attendance.

Jareth was now sitting in his personal study with a raging headache, with two ambassadors seated across from him. Arduinna, representative of the Seelie Court, was a new guest to his castle and an individual he had never had the opportunity to meet. She was beautiful in a mystical, otherworldly way, and had been worshiped as a lunar goddess by humans in the old days. She had hair like threads of silver, and luminous white skin. Large dark eyes dominated the features of her face, and she had a continuous expression of vacant disinterest that Jareth found distinctly irritating. Her counterpart from the Unseelie Court was a completely different story, however. Bebhionn was the representative of Unseelie in more ways than one. Her hair was true red, and tumbled down to her shoulders in loose waves that looked effortless and probably weren't. Her skin was pale, her lips were distracting, and she had eyes the color of old gold. Jareth knew her as a former ally and close friend in his youth. Bebhionn was a creature of pleasure, and was known among both courts for distributing it equally. Man, woman, Seelie, Unseelie, all had known a taste of what she could offer.

They were both here to make him say yes to the treaty.

'Jareth, my dear, are you well? You seem...distracted,' Bebhionn purred, leaning forward slightly.

'I think our unexpected arrivals have startled the Goblin King, Bebhionn,' Arduinna sighed, sounding for all the world as if she were a million miles away.

'I am just concerned as to where I am going to house two official ambassadors, plus their full houses, and any retainers they might have brought with them, for the duration of their stay,' Jareth sighed, passing his hand over his eyes.

'We were informed that Queen Banba had sent a messenger ahead to let inform you of our pending arrival, your majesty. Otherwise we would not have brought our entire households, ' Arduinna said dreamily.

'Yes, what the Seelie Ambassador is true, Jareth,' Bebhionn agreed. 'Banba told me specifically that you would be delighted to see us, and to discuss the specifics of the treaty. His Majesty the King is still abed with iron poisoning, after all.'

'I was a little surprised, to tell the truth. The Queen's message only reached me this morning, scant minutes before the first visitors. And, apart from you esteemed ambassadors, we've taken on visitors from Callieach Beara, who will be joining her family later this week. I think we might have a delegation of Lords and Ladies from both courts in attendance now.'

'Has the castle ever held this many visitors at once?' Arduinna asked, a thread of doubt subtly woven into her voice.

'Once, long ago. When it was not a sin to be Goblin King,' Jareth grumbled. 'I should have rooms for your respective retinues available within the hour, Ambassadors. When would you like to begin talks over the treaty?'

'There's no time like the present, Goblin King,' Arduinna smiled. Behind the vacuous eyes, Jareth could sense the innate intelligence that Arduinna hid so well.

'As you wish, Lady,' Jareth said, and pulled the treaty from the air.


	16. Chapter 16

I don't own anything in the Labyrinth.

* * *

'Hello, door. Are you me?' Sarah asked the great wooden doors of the Goblin Library.

_In a way._

'...Why?'

_What no one knew was that the Goblin King loved the girl, and had given her certain powers..._

'I don't understand,' Sarah said. Why was the door reciting the Book to her?

_For a while, Sarah, every crystal had your face in it. Every song was your song. He could not make a simple illusion without you in it, green eyes teasing him, dark hair haunting him._

'After I beat the Labyrinth... I see.'

_Do you, Sarah? A simple renewal of a spell that was timeless, as old as the castle itself, was beyond him without your memory's interference. I am simply the reflection of what he held dearest. I puzzle people, should they come knocking without a key. I drive them mad. I deny them their dreams. I am what you are, Sarah: a temptress._

'I never meant to tempt him! I was fifteen, for Pete's sake! I never meant to do anything but win back my brother...'

The door opened wide, and Sarah stepped inside.

_Once you make it to the Center of the Labyrinth, you'll never make it back out again, Sarah. You should have seen that._

'I see now, door. No worries, I see it now.'

The door slammed shut, leaving Sarah standing in the library. She told herself as she wiped her tears away that it was the dust, but she knew she was lying.

* * *

'I still don't see the value you place on Kine Woods, Arduinna. The trees aren't anything respectable, there is no game to be found, and it borders on dwarven territory,' Bebhionn said decisively. She was pointing at an area on the map that lay stretched out over the massive desk, while the other 7 or 8 people in the room looked on. Jareth sat back in his chair, idly fingering the pendant on his chest. It was a rather masculine symbol, he thought, and more fitting as a symbol of office than a crown or a scepter.

'My lord, the Seelie King has requested this small area in the treaty so he may build a better friendship with the dwarves. He believes he can set up a better trade route using these woods.' Arduinna smiled vapidly. She had kept the air of a vacant girl-child all throughout the morning, but no one was fooled any more. The Seelie had not sent an idiot to negotiate the treaty.

'A _trade route_, cousin? Did I hear you properly?' one of the Unseelie lords blurted. Jareth grinned ferally at the reactions to the Seelie Ambassador's words. There was no way that the Unseelie court would allow their stranglehold on dwarven goods to loosen.

'In exchange, of course, we've been instructed to allow access to the Dragon Wastes to the north of the Seelie palaces. For trade, teaching, or whatever the Unseelie court has need of.'

Jareth rolled his eyes. This treat had been dangled before his father's court before, and yet had never made it into any of the final forms of the countless treaties signed. Not that any of the treaties lasted for more than a decade.

Bebhiann opened her mouth, thought for a second, and then shut it. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her, and was about to question her when a gentle tap on the door interrupted them. Jareth summoned a crystal to check who it was, and then instructed the door to open silently.

A tiny, pink-haired servant stood in the hall, staring at the door as it grumbled and swung open.

'Your Majesty, lunch is ready. It will be served in the Great Hall,' she said with a squeak, and curtseyed. As she did, she revealed delicate dragonfly wings drooping from her shoulder blades.

More of his stepmother's half pixie servants.

'Well, Ladies, Lords. I believe it's time to put aside half-truths and empty promises and make our way towards the Great Hall. Unless you think you can subsist on words alone?' Jareth sighed. Bebhionn inclined her head in respect to him, but Arduinna merely raised an eyebrow.

'A moment of your time, Goblin King. How long do you expect negotiations to continue?'

'Knowing the stakes, Lady Arduinna, I expect them to be endless.' Jareth sighed.

'You mean the part about the marriage contract.' The vacant-looking woman smiled as she spoke. The other occupants of the room froze, unable to believe the directness of her words and waiting for the temperamental Goblin King's reaction.

'Yes, the infernal marriage contract, and the endless bickering over 20 square meters of wooded land that no one sets foot in anyway, and the endless interruptions, and the fact that half of the Sidhe in my castle have less intelligence than the lowliest goblin in my kingdom, and any number of things that could drive a sane man to murder,' Jareth growled, suddenly and ridiculously angry. 'I dislike the idea that my life will be dictated by those who think they control it, and I plan on doing as much as possible to dissuade them from the notion.' He turned on his heel and stalked out of his office.

* * *

Sarah was lost in the stacks of books, albeit willingly so. She had yet to figure out what system they were organized by, or even the language that half of them were in, but the smell and the feel of the leather-bound volumes had her nearly intoxicated. She traced her fingers along rows and rows of books, stooping occasionally to look at a volume below her line of sight. From time to time, she would stop, gently release a book from the shelf, and flip through it. She found books that talked, books that answered questions, books that asked questions, books in languages no man had ever understood, books that made her head spin wildly. She was in heaven!

Finally, Sarah found a section of books that felt innately familiar to her. Standing in front of them made her feel warm and shivery, and charged up full of some feeling she could not name. She grabbed the first book in the section and cracked it open.

_A Treatise on Weather Magicks, or How to Ride the Lightning__ Instead of It Riding You_

Sarah giggled. 'Whoever wrote this one had to be crazy, to title it like that!'

A sound behind her startled her into dropping the book, and she spun around.

To no one's surprise but her own, Jareth was walking up the aisle of books with a peculiar expression on his face- half frustration, half anticipation. As if he'd had a very bad day, but was still looking forward to whatever was next.

'Mistreating my books, Precious?' he grinned, and leaned down to scoop up the book. 'And this one is so important. I imagine Callieach Beara will give it to you as homework.'

'It, ah... it seemed right, to pick up.' Sarah stammered, on edge by Jareth's presence.

Jareth set the book on a waiting pedestal and swept Sarah into his arms. 'I have been looking forward to this all day, Sarah,' he said, and buried his face in the nape of her neck.

'Bad day, eh?' Sarah joked, as she tentatively ran her fingers through his messy hair.

'You have no idea,' Jareth mumbled into her neck. He sounded for all the world like a petulant child.

'Poor thing,' she murmured. Jareth pulled back from her and stared at her for a moment with those haunting, bi-colored eyes, and then caught up her lips in a kiss. It was a kiss so full of need and hidden meaning that Sarah cried out against his mouth- a sound of passion, of understanding, of confusion, of need. She returned his kiss with a savage joy that she did not know she was capable of.

A moment passed, and then several. He finally relinquished his hold on her lips and sighed. 'Are you hungry? Lunch has been announced in the Great Hall and I imagined you'd be interested in seeing the horde of Seelie and Unseelie idiots that have descended upon the castle.'

'Oh, wow... I don't know, don't you need manners or something?' Sarah joked. 'I was raised in the backwoods after all...'

'Sarah, no manners are needed. Half of these people spend more time watching TV than your brother does.'

'I still don't understand how that works, you know. Did Time Warner set up a branch in the Underground or something?'

'Ask me again some other time, when we have several hours to waste.'

'I think I'd rather waste my time on other things,' Sarah said wickedly.

Jareth grinned in response. 'Touche, Precious. Shall we go?'

'I'd love to.'

Jareth took her arm in his, and escorted her down towards the end of the row. 'This castle hasn't held more than 10 beings in centuries, goblins not included of course. So suddenly having nearly a hundred petty servants- not to mention the petty Lords and Ladies- is rather unnerving.'

'Why are they here, Jareth?' Sarah asked.

'With the death of the Seelie King, the heir-apparent has decided he'd like to negotiate some peace, however long it shall last. A great number of things have been asked for, most specifically the marriage of the Unseelie heir to one of the Seelie princesses.' Jareth said, sounding rather irritated.

Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. 'Aren't you the Unseelie heir, though?'

'Yes, unfortunately. ' Jareth sighed, and turned to face her.

'So, I shouldn't be here then. You might have to get married to someone else.'

'The day I let someone else decide whom I shall spend eternity with is the day I secede from any court and live in solitude with my goblins. And that, Precious, will never happen,' he said seriously.

'But, Jareth, the goblins are such thrilling conversationalists...' Sarah smiled.

'If you consider "Wheel of Fortune", where the winning word is always chicken, thrilling,' he said as they started walking again.

'As long as my presence here won't complicate things, I suppose I'll be ok.'

'I think once they realize who you are, Precious, I imagine the Seelie will start trying to curry your favor. They have no weather-witches in the whole of their courts right now, so even a poorly-trained one will be a great boon.'

'So you're dragging me into a pissing match between two angry wolf-packs, then. And all I get to be is another bone to fight over?'

'Sad, but true. You and I are just haunches of meat torn between two angry pack leaders.' Jareth smiled, and motioned to the door in front of them.

'Off we go, then, into the den of the wolves.' Sarah grinned.

* * *

A/N Wow, three chapters in one night! Woot!


End file.
